The Rogue Tribe
by 8trustthecloak8
Summary: It's just another regular Gathering. Then something happens that changes everything. Now Will is forced to run for Araluen, completely alone. Halt struggles with a personal decision, and suddenly the whole Ranger Corps is threatened with extinction. Can Will get everyone to safety, including himself? Can Halt figure it out before they all die? Mild violence and peril.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1 - Vengeance

The Eastern Steppes

The sun set over the foothills of the Eastern Steppes early at this time of year. The many-layered shadows cast across the landforms were massive, peculiar, and awe-inspiring to the average onlooker. The Steppes, which were a series of large plateaus next to and on top of one another, serving as the Temujai's homeland, east of the large island nation of Nihon Ja on the mainland, were a sight rarely seen by anyone except the Temujai themselves. They carefully defended their land with their advanced military forces, and most anyone close enough to see the Steppes in their full glory didn't survive long enough to ponder its beauty.

But Commander Or'kam galloped across the flat sand, ignoring the vista, the heat, and the dust. His mount, short and barrel-chested, didn't seem like much at first glance. But when he ran like he was running right now, he was unmatched. But of course, his horse was only a little better than much of the rest of the Temujai military, and even the common folk's breeding stock were significantly more valuable than some of the fastest horses bred by other countries' finest horsemasters. Except, of course, those cursed, good for nothing bastards who stole our finest stock years ago. Those cursed Atabi... Or'kam shook his head in anger as the hateful thoughts filled his mind. I must get there faster. He nudged his mount, Kama, and he felt the little horse bunch up his muscles and push to an even faster gallop. Now they were flying across the plateau at an amazing speed, and the large fortress that just moments ago had seemed far off was suddenly not so distant.

Within another couple minutes, Or'kam came thundering up to the main gate, throwing aside the flap of his lightweight cloak to show his shirt sleeve, revealing strips of colored cloth and badges pinned to it. These were his identification markings and colors that showed his rank as a Kaijin and a deputy commander. As soon as the guards saw his rank, they stood aside and allowed him through the gate without a second glance. His cloak fell back over his arm as he blew past the guards and started up the ramp. The large fortress was the foremost military base of the Eastern Steppes, sitting at the topmost level of the highest plateau. It was comprised of a series of low ceilinged box-shaped buildings that sat on separate levels of the plateau, with large moveable ramps connecting them. There were large defensive catapults and other large installations in the massive walls that went all the way around the fortress, the only way in being through the main gate which Or'kam had just passed through.

Or'kam slowed Kama as they neared the top of the ramp, which lead to the largest building in the fortress. He slowed to a stop just outside the door, and dismounted quickly. He glanced up as he heard someone approaching. It was a young boy, probably a resident in training. He hissed angrily, "Khüü! End irj!" The boy looked up and his eyes widened as he realized who was speaking to him, and then he became afraid as he saw the terrible hatred and anger in his eyes. The terrified boy came just as Or'kam had commanded, and he shoved Kama's reins into his hands, hissing, "Do not let go." The boy nodded timidly, and Or'kam whipped away with a flourish of his cloak and pulled the door open. He strode into the small inner room, not even stopping to remove his boots or clean off the dust from his clothing and hands like normal protocol would require. He brushed past the guards, who gave him puzzled looks, but seeing the marks on his arm, quickly turned away and stood at attention as he flew by. He pushed open the main doors and stormed down the long room. It had a low ceiling, and the walls were made of stones and hardened clay bricks, along with tar to fill in the cracks and waterproof it. There were beautiful woven cloths made of silk threads all over the walls and large cherrywood looms in the corner, where young girls sat weaving more expensive and extravagant tapestries. He was walking across a long cloth spread out on the packed stone, trampling dust all over it. Farther down the room stood a large table made of a huge flat piece of wood cut cleanly and polished until smooth by the hands of many who had used it a hundred years before. Across the table lay another beautiful cloth, depicting a battle between what Or'kam assumed to be the Temujai and some other foe. But as he approached the table, his eyes lifted from the tapestry to the man standing behind it, surrounded by a few other military officers. He wore ornate silk robes over lightweight leather armor, and a long saber hung from his belt. The other men with him wore only lightweight armor and sabers, and they all had stopped their quiet chatting to stare at Or'kam who had so rudely barged into the room. But Or'kam was so caught up in his anger that he almost slammed his hands down on the table, but he caught himself at the last minute, stopping a meter from the table. He bowed low with his fist across his chest, murmuring, "Sha'shan. I have something I must speak to you about urgently."

The robed figure replied mildly, "Commander, it must be very urgent for you to come barging in here in such a state. Please explain yourself before I have you removed." He shrugged off his robe and hung it on the back of a chair, and leaned over a map spread out on the table, peering serenely at Or'kam.

Or'kam clenched his jaw angrily at his words, but held his temper in check. "Sha'shan, I have urgent news on the matter we discussed earlier this year. We have received intelligence that the Atabi have not grown in number since the last time we dealt with them, they have sustained at their small number of fifty. There are a few retired ones, and a few have trainees, or apprentices as they call them, but they do not appear to be growing or strengthening. This means that we could attack at any time and we could easily overwhelm them - "

"Zogsookh, zogsookh, Commander." The Sha'shan held up his hands as he stopped the commander's explanation. "You must stop. I do not know why you are telling me this. Do you not remember that we discussed this long ago, and I said that it was no longer? Why do you think I would still care about a matter I have closed?"

Or'kam tried to press on. "Sha'shan, please just listen for another moment. We have a source that has told us something that will change our attack plan for the whole operation. All fifty of the Atabi, they all meet - "

"Zogsookh." The man slammed his hand down on the table, creating a loud bang. Or'kam was momentarily surprised by the outburst, and fell silent. The Sha'shan stepped slowly around the table and stood directly in front of Or'kam. "I have already closed the matter. We will not be following through with this operation, no matter what new information we receive. I have decreed we will not attack, so we will not attack." He took another step closer to Or'kam, speaking more softly. "Or do you forget who I am? Yes, I am your father, but I am also the Sha'shan. You will not defy me, son."

Or'kam scowled deeply. "Please, Sha'shan, this information means we could launch a successful attack against the Atabi guaranteed - "

"Nothing is guaranteed in war, Or'kam. You know that. Now, stop this nonsense, and return to your training in north. I know you have graduated recently to the rank of deputy commander, but that does not mean you can defy me. Now go and do your job." He stiffly turned away, walking back over to the table.

Or'kam felt his fury building, and he spoke softly and intensely. "You forget what they have done to our people. They deserve to die." He took a menacing step towards the table. "Every single one of them. Especially those two that assisted the Skandians years ago, the old one and his apprentice. They stole our finest breeding stock, they ruined your campaign, they halted your streak in your youngest and most prosperous years... How can you forget something like that?" He had reached the side of the table, and stared down at his father.

But the man just stared back steadily. "Or'kam, I do not forget. I will never forget. But I understand."

Or'kam's lip curled as he hissed, "That does not have any meaning to me. Understanding does not cancel out all the money and men we sacrificed to get there, not to mention our personal hurt - "

"I understand their ways. And I have forgiven. To be a good leader, one must not hold grudges. I do not like them, but I do not wish to target only fifty men in such a well defended place as the Ara-land, or Araluen, as they call their country. We do not currently have the resources or planning to carry out that type of attack."

Or'kam rolled his eyes, and sighed loudly. "Ch'reen..."

"Sha'shan to you, Commander."

"I am not allowed to call you by your own name?"

"Not when you are in my army, and certainly not in a public setting such as this." The sha'sham gestured around him, drawing Or'kam's attention to his surroundings. Everyone in the room sat silently watching their exchange, their eyes wide and faces pale. He stepped in closer and spoke in a gentler tone. "Or'kam, we will not attack the Atabi. They are a force to be reckoned with, and even if we managed to kill one or two, the armies of the Ara-land would strike back at us in full force, which is something we don't want at the moment. Not to mention the rest of the Atabi would target us specifically. Maybe in the future we could plan something of this scale, but not now."

Or'kam's lips curled into a mocking snarl. "You are afraid of them. You are a coward."

His father stepped back, anger blossoming on his face. "I am no coward, I am not so caught up in my anger that I cannot see through to the logic on the other side!" He thrust himself into his son's face. "You need to go back to your job, and clear your mind of this useless hate. It will only serve as your downfall."

Or'kam spat in his face, "I will not rest, not while those Atabi are out there just asking to be massacred. This is the best chance we've had in decades - "

"Yavakh. Go, before I have you arrested for plotting and scheming." The sha'sham turned back around, the matter clearly closed.

But Or'kam had had enough. He spoke softly, but quickly, saying, "I will not. I will avenge the deaths of our ancestors and families, not matter what you say. When I return, I will be honored for wiping out the Atabi and you will be dishonored as a coward." Then he turned and sprinted down the hall before anyone could fully absorb what he meant to do.

"Go, after him!" He heard his father scream, but he was too late. Or'kam was already out the door and mounting his horse.

"Go, Kama! Run like the wind!" He shouted as Kama went from a dead stop to a full out sprint, sliding down the ramp and flying out the gate before the guards could relay orders. But I will not go alone. He nudged Kama in the direction of his training camp. I will gather my followers, and then I will be unstoppable. And so they galloped off towards the sun, towards the Ara-land, and towards vengeance, for him, his people, and his cowardly father.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2 - ...Of A Different Kind

Araluen, a few months later...

That same sun was just starting to touch the tops of the distant hills in western Araluen, and the light breeze picked up as Tug and Abelard's hooves stepped lightly over the brittle leaves. They plodded together along the small path in the sun-dappled forest, the light turning a shade of orange and casting their two riders' faces in a strange glow. Will and Halt both sat astride their horses, their bows slung comfortably up on their shoulders and their cloaks pulled aside as the warmth of the day faded, discussing their plan.

" ...you said something about going original? How original are we talking?"

"As original as one gets. Don't you remember the first time you went to a Gathering? We got him then." Halt ducked and brushed aside a few branches that hung over the path.

"Oh, so you mean original, as in, the first Gathering I ever went to. Wasn't that the one where we got called away to deal with the Kalkara?"

"Yes, but more to the point, that was the one where we got Gilan really good."

"I see..." Will trailed off as he recalled that fateful day. "So... You want me to hide in a tree again? But since we already did it, isn't that a little old?"

"Old? It's not old to reuse a successful plan. It's old to keep asking these pointless questions." Halt ducked under another low hanging tree limb and scowled as his tired muscles ached at the movement.

"They aren't pointless, you know that. I, for one, definitely don't want to hide in a tree again. I have a feeling Gilan might actually recognize the plan if he sees you kneeling on the trail again, like you did last time."

"He won't recognize it, it was so long ago he probably forgot about the whole thing anyway."

"But you can't be sure. I vote no."

"And I vote yes, so we have a problem." Halt paused for a second in mock thought. "But... since I am the senior Ranger - "

"Oh, don't you try to pull rank on me. You know full well I have enough years in the Corps that I could be considered a senior Ranger, and I've had enough years for a while now."

"Yes, but I have more years than you do, therefore we should go with my plan - "

"The number of years doesn't matter, and your seniority doesn't mean your plans are superior to mine - "

"Alright, alright," Halt put his hands up defensively. "Fine. I'm not saying we're going with your plan, but I suppose I'm willing to at least hear you out."

Will rolled his eyes. "Finally. Alright, so I was thinking - "

"Always a dangerous - "

"Don't say it. Are you going to let me finish or not?"

Halt frowned, miffed that his trademark reply had been interrupted, and grumbled under his breath, not replying. Will took that as a sign to continue.

"So I was thinking that we should hide Tug and Abelard in that special thicket of trees right near the campsites, and then go back out and hide in the dense brush along the road we know Gilan will be coming from. Then, when he rides by, we get him."

Halt raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Will narrowed his eyes at Halt. "That's it."

Halt, in turn, narrowed his eyes, but said grudgingly, "Fine, I suppose it's as good as any other option. But before you get all cheerful, I have a suggestion."

Will, who had broken out into a wide grin at Halt's previous decision, said lightly, "Fine. So long as the suggestion isn't to completely change the plan."

Halt frowned more deeply. "No, it's not. All I wanted to add was that maybe, instead of both of us coming from the same side of the path, I should come from one side, and you from the other. Or maybe, if you were feeling like climbing, you could jump down from a tree right in front of him. That would startle him pretty effectively."

It was Will's turn to frown. "But what if I'm not feeling like climbing?"

Halt raised both eyebrows incredulously. "You always feel like climbing, since when do you not? You have to admit, it's a good idea."

"I just don't feel like it." Will turned pointedly away from Halt and focused on the path ahead. Halt stared suspiciously at him.

"Why don't you feel like it? You love climbing."

"You just asked that, and my answer hasn't changed. I just don't," Will muttered through clenched teeth. By this time, they had reached a fork in the path, and Halt didn't even need to nudge Abelard as they took the left road. Both horses had been here so many times that they didn't even need directions.

Halt decided to let Will off the hook. But I'll ask him about it later. "Alright, fine. So we'll both just come from opposite sides of the trail and jump in front of Blaze?"

"Yes. But we will need to be careful not to get kicked or trampled."

"I know Blaze, he wouldn't trample me. But you... We can't be certain." Halt glanced sidelong at Will.

Will rolled his eyes. "Halt, I know you're still trying to convince me to swing from a tree like a monkey, but I'm not going to. I'll be fine."

Halt muttered under his breath, but they both fell into a peaceful silence as the sun sunk lower into the hills, the light turning a vibrant hue of orange. They rode down the path for a good ten minutes before a whiff of smoke alerted them they were near the camp. Halt nodded to Will, and they both turned their horses off the path and into the trees. They rode through the underbrush until the road was no longer visible, and they stopped beside a large grove of trees. Here, the light was so dim it was already as dark as late evening, and it was difficult to distinguish a tree from a large bush. Halt and Will silently dismounted and left Tug and Abelard behind the grove of trees, commanding them to be 'silent'. Halt gestured for Will to stay on his right, and then they both ghosted silently through the trees, back toward the path. They slipped through the dense underbrush and made it to the edge of the trail. "You go over there. And remember, other Rangers may take this road as well, so don't jump out unless we are both certain it's Gilan."

Will smiled faintly at the thought of jumping out on the path, only to realize it was Crowley or some other senior Ranger... No, stop thinking about it. He said not to even think about it. "That would be unfortunate."

Halt glanced at him, both eyebrows raised. Will raised an eyebrow back. "What?"

He squinted suspiciously at Will. He had been acting a little strangely the last few hours, and his last statement had been very suspicious. "Unfortunate?"

Will just looked at him expectantly. "Yes. It wouldn't be very good if it was, say, Crowley, now would it?"

"Yes, I suppose..." Halt trailed off, still suspicious. "Now go along."

Will grinned a little, and then slipped noiselessly across the narrow path to the underbrush on the other side, immediately disappearing into the vegetation.

Now we wait, thought Halt. He carefully cleared a small spot in the dense grass and sat himself down, preparing for the long hours ahead.

Will squatted in the tall grass, hidden carefully and completely by the bush directly in front of him. He could no longer see the path clearly, but that didn't bother him. He had been sitting for almost three hours, which by Ranger standards, wasn't too long of a wait. But now he was expecting him. He glanced left and right again, only moving his eyes. He's got to be here by now. The challenge now is to see if he can find me, and not Halt. He crouched for another moment longer, and then he heard it. The faint tapping sound. He just barely turned his head, moving only a few inches, but that was enough. Only moments later, a small pebble rolled across the ground and hit his boot. He turned his head just a few more inches, and saw Gilan. He was standing behind a tree just a few meters away, pressing himself against the trunk. His cowl was up, but Will could make out the grin on his face. Will turned his head back to face the path and scanned the bushes for Halt. Seeing that Halt was not moving or signaling him, Will smoothly lowered himself flat onto his stomach in the grass. He started moving forward, crawling on his knees and elbows, staying flat on the ground. He reached the grass at the base of Gilan's tree and crawled around to the back of tree. He got back onto his feet and pressed himself up against the tree next to Gilan, who had stayed perfectly still the whole time. Gilan flicked his fingers at a patch of cover a little further back into the forest, and Will nodded slightly. They both moved as one, flitting through the trees like shadows. Will reached the cover first, and he waited as Gilan slipped into the small grove of trees just after him. "Gilan, long time no see."

Gilan smiled and shook hands with Will, whispering, "Good to see you as well. And uh, are you limping?"

Will swept his cloak across his legs quickly, muttering, "Yes... It's fine. I'll explain later."

Gilan sensed Will's reluctance to discuss it, so he changed the subject. "So, are you ready for this?"

Will smiled, relieved to get of the subject of his limp. "I think I've been ready for a long, long time."

"You and me both," Gilan whispered as he glanced around the trunk. "Okay, so Halt is starting to expect me right about now, and I don't think he saw either of us, which was a little bit lucky. So, before he hears us or suspects something, let's go."

Will nodded, and slipped out from behind the trees, Gilan following closely behind.

They moved through the trees once again back toward where Halt was sitting, oblivious to what was going on. As Will and Gilan got closer, they went off to the right of Halt to go around him. Once they reached the other side of the path, they angled back toward where Halt was sitting. They both came directly behind Halt and stopped behind a tree. Halt still sat there, not moving at all, peering out at the road. But Will and Gilan both froze as Halt turned his head a little, looking off to the left. Then he surprised them both by whispering, "Will! Do you think he's running late? He should have been here at least an hour ago, if not more." Then Halt got up on his knees, readjusting his cloak, and stood. He reslung his bow up into the crook of his shoulder and neck, and then whispered again, "Will, get over here. He's not coming."

Will glanced at Gilan, who grinned at him and nodded. Will drew in a breath to speak, but Halt's next words stopped him. "Will, you're right behind me, aren't you? And I suppose Gilan is with you?" He had stopped whispering, and he spoke in a conversational tone.

Will grinned so widely he could barely hold in his laughter. He called out, "How did you know?"

Halt turned slowly, a deep frown on his face. He took in the sight of Will and Gilan standing shoulder to shoulder grinning like two little boys. "I heard a movement," he muttered.

Will couldn't hold it in any longer, and he burst into laughter. Gilan also laughed, and walked up to Halt and hugged him. "Good to see you, Halt."

Halt glared at him, but returned the hug grudgingly, glancing suspiciously between the two younger Rangers, still scowling deeply. "Excellent to see you. And whose idea was this?"

Gilan pointed to Will. "He thought up the idea to work together to get you this year, and we worked out the plan together. So I suppose it was both of us."

Will grinned triumphantly. "And it worked. Score one for us." He offered Gilan his hand, and he clapped his hand enthusiastically against Will's.

Halt's glare was deep enough to curdle milk. "So, you just abandoned me, met up with Gilan, and then crept around to scare me?"

Will's smile faded just a little. "Yes, that was the intention, but you unfortunately noticed us at last minute, so - "

"So technically you didn't get to carry out the entirety of your plan," Halt fired back smugly.

"True, but..." Gilan glanced at Will.

"Your voice when I didn't answer you was priceless. I'm going to remember it for a long time." Will burst out laughing again.

"So how did you know we were there?" Gilan asked.

Halt walked up to them and straightened his shoulders. "I heard you."

Gilan raised an eyebrow. "Both of us?"

"No, I didn't specifically hear one of you, but I heard movement. When Will didn't answer me, I figured something must have gone wrong. And then it occurred to me that he might have tricked me, and then I realized what had happened."

Gilan raised his eyebrows. "Why would you think that Will had tricked you?"

Halt narrowed his eyes at Will. "The last few hours you were really twitchy and mysterious, and I know you only act like that when you're hiding something."

Will's smile faded, and Halt continued. "Although, I don't remember teaching you how to lie like that. And I'll admit, I didn't suspect a plot like this even though you were acting strange."

Will chuckled. "Oh, Halt, I've learned how to lie, mostly by watching you. But I've developed my own techniques over the years."

Halt's eyebrows rose again, and rolled his eyes. "Oh really? Unfortunate..."

Will looked at him, puzzled. "Unfortunate... What?"

Halt smiled wolfishly. "You said that earlier, and I thought it was strange. Now I understand."

Gilan looked at Will accusingly. "You mean you almost gave this whole plan away?"

"Multiple times," Halt added. Will glared pointedly at him.

Gilan shrugged resignedly. "I don't think I want to know the exact number."

"You really don't," agreed Halt.

Gilan glanced at Will. "Didn't I tell you not to think about it? That should have been enough to keep him from guessing."

Will shifted uncomfortably. "I tried, I really did, but my mind just kept jumping back to it."

Gilan raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're damned lucky he didn't figure it out sooner."

Will opened his mouth to say something, but Halt forestalled him. "That's right you are. You two do realize this might just come back to bite you in the future, don't you?"

Will rolled his eyes. "It won't, not for now. We'll worry about that when it comes. All that matters is that we finally got you."

Halt's eyes narrowed into slits and was about to say something, but Gilan decided to stop that discussion before it started. "I don't know about the two of you, but I'm starving. Do you want to go get the horses and set up camp?"

Halt glared at them both one last time, but nodded. Will smiled gleefully, and then nodded to Gilan. They all walked off toward the path, Will occasionally sniggering, and Halt elbowing him sharply in the side to shut him up.


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3 - The Gathering

As the three Rangers rode into the Gathering Ground, which was a large clearing with flat, soft grass, the other Rangers already there turned and waved, greeting them all as old friends. Will and Gilan both waved cheerfully to them, but Halt nodded grimly to most of the well-wishers, who were mostly younger Rangers. He raised his hand to Berrigan, an old friend, who was a retired undercover Ranger and had worked with Will on a past mission and himself with lots of other jobs. He also nodded to a few of his older friends, but, as he passed another group of younger Rangers, he thought, I don't know any of these young ones, so why should I wave to them? As Will and Gilan edged toward their usual spot, he noticed a very young looking Ranger openly gaping at them. His face was still round and chubby, so he must have been barely fifteen, and his clothes were still more than a little too loose for his gangly frame. No, Halt thought, stringy. This boy is stringy. His cowl was pulled back and his mouth hung open, his eyes wide. Halt tried not to make eye contact with him as he rode by in front of Will and Gilan, but he couldn't ignore the boy's awestruck tone as he said, "Ranger Halt? Ranger Will? Are you... Really you?"

Halt couldn't stop his shoulders from slumping forward in irritation as he heard the boy's hesitant words. He halted Abelard and turned in the saddle, staring straight at him. "Yes, it's us."

He kneed Abelard to start moving again, but the small boy took a few steps forward so that he stood in the middle of the path, blocking their horses. Abelard stopped, but shook his mane. Should I trample him?

Halt shook his head almost imperceptibly, and the little horse shook his mane again, turning back towards the boy, who had now walked right up to Halt. "I just wanted to say... I never thought I would meet you, but it's happening. I just... I want to be just like you when I become a Ranger in five years." He spoke softly with a slight stutter, wringing his hands in front of him nervously.

So he is fifteen. Halt leaned forward in the saddle to answer him, but paused as he heard Gilan whisper to Will, "I'm going to go set up camp. You two come over once you get rid of him." Will nodded, and Gilan rode off towards their camp site, leaving Will and Halt alone with the boy, who watched Gilan as he rode away with huge eyes.

Halt glanced back at Will, who raised an eyebrow unsympathetically at him, glanced at the boy, and then back at Halt. Halt rolled his a little, and then slowly dismounted Abelard. He walked up to the boy and said, "Believe me, you really don't want to be like me. If you became exactly like me, you'd have a murderous brother, a lot of near death experiences and injuries, and two bloody apprentices. I really don't think you want all that, especially the apprentices." He jerked his head up at Will, who just smiled cheerfully in response.

But the boy just looked puzzled, acting as though he hadn't heard anything Halt said. Then he shook his head, his brows furrowed. "No, no, I was talking about you, Ranger Will." He stepped around Abelard so that he was face-to-face with Tug, looking up at Will.

Tug narrowed his eyes at the little stranger and Will felt a little rumble go through the little horse's body. Should I trample him now? He's delaying my oats, and I'm starving.

Will nudged him with his knee. You can wait a little longer. He leaned over Tug's neck and got a proper look at the young boy in front of him. "Well... Uhm, hello there. What's your name?"

His huge eyes sparkled as he heard Will's voice. "I'm Trevor, sir. Trevor Montag." His chests puffed up and he grinned widely.

Will raised an eyebrow, but pushed on. "So... Where are you from, Trevor?"

His chest came out further, so much so that he looked like a rooster. A bantam-rooster, as Erak would say, thought Will. "I'm from Mackindaw! I lived in Malcom's community! I was only a wee baby when you were there, but Malcolm tells all the young ones about you and what you did! That's why I know you! You saved our fief from an invasion and defeated Sir Kerric and saved the Baron and also there were some Skandians and - "

"Whoa, whoa, slow down a little!" Will held up his hands to stop his rambling. "So, you're from Mackindaw? And if you're fifteen right now..." He shut his eyes as he did the math. "You must have only been a toddler back then. You say Macolm tells you all about me?"

The boy grinned and nodded, his eyes bugging out of his head. "Yes, and what you did was amazing! How you fought that Scotti general - "

"It sounds like I need to have a discussion with Malcolm..." Will muttered as he felt his cheeks get a little pinker.

But the boy didn't stop talking. " - And you saved your girlfriend and how Sir Horace is your best friend! I also heard about other stuff you did after that! You went to Hibernia and saved practically the whole country with Halt! And then you saved Halt, and Malcolm had to go heal him! And then Malcolm helped you take down the cult! He's very proud of that, by the way. Then you went to Nihon-Ja and saved that country too! And I bet you did loads of other stuff too - "

"Alright, alright, slow down and breathe." Will ran a hand through his hair in exasperation and glanced furtively at Halt. He had remounted Abelard, and had a ghost of a smile on his face as he glanced at Will, both eyebrows raised. Will glared at him, and Halt just shrugged and gestured to the boy again. Will turned back to him and asked frankly, "Have you breathed yet?"

The boy shook his head and made a show of taking a deep breath. Will swung off Tug and hitched his bow farther into his shoulder, turning towards the boy. "Listen, I'm glad that Mackindaw was a good place to grow up, and I'm glad I helped make it safer. But probably most of what you've heard is exaggerated. Now, I'm tired and hungry and I would like to go set up camp with Halt and Gilan. Would you mind letting us through?"

The boy looked surprised at Will's clipped words, and his eyes bugged out farther from his head, but he stepped to one side of the path. Will nodded to him and lead Tug past him. Halt also nudged Abelard and started moving off towards where Gilan was setting up. But Will practically lept out of his skin as heard the boy call out suddenly, "Oooooh, why are you limping? I bet it was from your last mission. What happened? Did you fight anybody? How - "

"Trevor, that's enough!" Someone called out from a few meters away. Another Ranger was hurrying across the camp ground towards them shaking his head. It was Harrison, who was the Ranger for Norgate Fief. He rushed up to Trevor and shook his finger at him. "Trevor! What did I tell you? You were to stay at my camp! Not go rush off and annoy people with important things to do!" He turned to Will and extended a hand. "My apologies, Will. I told him to stay at camp, but he got curious." He leaned in closer, muttering, "And I'll teach him how not to exasperate people, eh?"

Will smiled and shook his hand firmly. "Of course, Harrison, it's no trouble. Good to see you."

Harrison smiled back. "And you, Will, and you. Now, let's go, Trevor." He seized Trevor's elbow and pulled him off towards the other side of the camp. Even while Trevor was lead away, he kept turning around to stare at Will before Harrison would pull him back around.

Will waved at their retreating figures and turned back toward Halt and Gilan. They had both set up camp in their usual spot near the middle of the camp ground. Gilan had pulled off Blaze's saddle and sent him off to graze. Then he had started a fire and set up his low, one man tent a few meters from the fire. Halt had just started unsaddling Abelard as Will came over and started on Tug. "Don't say it."

Halt raised an eyebrow at Will. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Good." Will pulled his saddle off Tug and set it on the ground, then sent him off after Blaze to the patch of green grass the other horses were eating at.

Tug turned his head and snorted at Will. All that and I don't get my oats? At least an apple?

Will pointed to the grass. Oats later. Now go on.

Fine. But I'll be back later for those oats. Tug trotted off towards the taller grass, and Halt sent Abelard after him.

Will started to unpack his tent and cooking supplies, and Halt sat down next to him on a log next to the fire. "So that's why you didn't want to climb that tree."

Will looked sharply at him and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Halt sighed. "Remember, you didn't want to climb that tree to surprise Gilan. You said you just didn't feel like it. But I knew that wasn't true, you always love climbing. And now I know why."

Will narrowed his eyes. "And what, exactly, do you think you know?"

Halt smiled slightly. "You must have injured something recently, your knee I'm thinking. Care to elaborate?"

Will rolled his eyes. "Let's just say that I had a minor accident and I twisted my knee. End of story." He pulled out his tent and started pitching it.

Halt also pulled out his tent. "What kind of accident?"

Will glared at Halt. "Didn't I say end of story?"

Halt shrugged and asked again, "What kind of accident?"

Will scowled, but said reluctantly, "I was riding through a shallow river during a rainstorm. Tug lost his footing and I fell off." He finished pitching his tent and started on setting out his cooking supplies.

Halt's brow furrowed. "Why were you riding through a shallow river in a rainstorm?"

"I was chasing some bandits that had stolen from the mail carrier again. They were fleeing on foot and I had to cross the river. I actually ended up catching them, though."

Gilan glanced at Tug, and then back at Will. "Since when does Tug lose his footing? Ranger horses don't do that normally."

Halt raised an eyebrow at Gilan. "It does happen occasionally, you know. Our horses can't be perfect."

Gilan shrugged, and Will continued, "This was probably the first time he's stumbled under me. It wasn't even his fault, it was hard to see and the footing was awful."

Gilan put some more logs into the fire. "So that's why you limped earlier. How's your knee?"

Will shrugged. "It's not bad. It's already getting better."

Halt raised both eyebrows. "When did this happen, exactly?"

"A week or so ago. Now I'm only limping a little." Will laid out his bedroll inside his tent and stood, rubbing his hands together. Both Halt and Gilan had also finished setting up their camp.

"Well, I hope you knee's better, because I have some jobs for all of you." Will jumped a little and Gilan dropped the empty mug he was holding. Halt only sighed and turned, saying, "Crowley, I know you love doing that, but try using it for useful things such as scaring younger Rangers."

Crowley laughed and Will turned around to see him standing a few meters away. "I'll be sure to keep it in mind. Good to see you, Will, and you, Gilan." They all stood and shook hands with him. Then Halt invited him to sit down with them. Gilan picked his mug back up, and Will and Halt also pulled out mugs for themselves and Crowley. They poured Gilan's freshly made batch of coffee into the mugs.

Crowley sat, and said, "So what's all this about your knee?"

Will rolled his eyes. "It's nothing."

Crowley smiled cheekily. "Good, because I have quite a list of things for you to do over the next few days."

Gilan raised both eyebrows. "A list? That's a bit much."

"A list for all three of you. It's not actually that much, take a look." He handed them a slip of paper.

"'Unseen movement clinic'. That's for you," Will read as he nudged Gilan.

"Knife throwing is all yours," Halt said and nodded to Will, who frowned.

"And what about you?"

"I thought I'd leave the rest to you two. I'm sure you can manage it." Halt set his now empty mug on the ground and heaved himself up from the log with Crowley.

"And what will you be doing?" Gilan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Halt straightened his shoulders with a lot of dignity. "I'll be doing other things." He walked off towards the center of camp. Crowley followed, but not before glancing back at Will and Gilan's indignant faces and shrugging.

Will turned back to Gilan. "I don't know about you, but I'm not starting this tonight. I want to enjoy my dinner and get a goodnight's sleep."

Gilan nodded. "Agreed. We also need to figure out a way for Halt to take on at least some of this list for himself."

"Definitely." Will curled his fingers around his cup, savoring the last few drops.

"More coffee?" Gilan held out the pot.

Will smiled at him. "Of course."


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4 - Unexpected Surprise

"And... Again. Yes, much better. A little more flick... Again," said Will as he watched the young apprentice throw a knife at a target some meters away. Halt had departed earlier that morning with Crowley to "sort through some things" with a few of the more senior Rangers, leaving Will and Gilan with the list he had delivered the previous night. Gilan had left with the younger apprentices for a demonstration in unseen movement, and Will had taken the older group for some knife throwing practice. He had two older boys with him, Evan and Matthias, in a clearing just off the campsite. Off to the right, older Rangers practiced their knife throwing using tiny targets set at various heights and distances. Every time they threw, their knives hit the dead center of the target with a resounding thunk! The two older boys were trying not to even glance at the others, but Will could tell that they were amazed by the other Ranger's accuracy. He had been helping Evan, but he had abruptly stopped as he gaped at an older Ranger, who sank his tiny throwing knife into a target barely the size of a dinner plate at least fifty meters away.

"Uhm... Uh - " stuttered Evan as he tried to focus on the task at hand, but Will forestalled him.

"Hold up for a moment, Evan." He picked up a bulky bag from under a tree, and then gestured to Matthias, who had also stopped throwing. Then he turned and walked across the clearing, heading for the trail again. He heard Evan and Matthias running to catch up behind him, and he thought, I've got to get them away from here, somewhere where they can concentrate.

"Ranger Will? I don't understand... Where are we going?" Matthias asked from behind him.

"To a different clearing." Will started walking at a faster pace, and he heard the two behind him rushing to catch up again.

"Why? Did we do something wrong?" This time it was Evan who asked.

Will stopped abruptly. They had reached a small and empty clearing a good ways away from the bigger one. He turned around, and sighed. "No, Evan, of course not. What could you have possibly done wrong while we were walking?"

Evan looked puzzled, then said, "No, I meant, why did we move to a different clearing? Did we do something wrong?"

Will smiled gently at them. "You did absolutely nothing wrong." He turned away and set down the package, opening it to reveal target boards.

"Uhm... Then why did we move, Ranger Will?" asked Matthias.

Will turned back around and sighed again. "Listen, as I said before, you did absolutely nothing wrong. It was just too distracting back there. Too many people making too much of a ruckus. Here is much better." Evan and Matthias looked relieved. Then Will added, "Oh, and I told you this before, but please call me Will."

Evan shook his head slightly, as if trying to make himself remember. "Of course, Rang- I mean Will."

Will smiled at him, and then walked to a point about twenty meters away, and set up a series of targets at varying heights. Then he walked back over to where the two boys stood, and said, "Alright. Remember what I told you, flick the wrist more. Throw ten times each, and we'll see how well you do."

The two boys nodded, and Will walked over to a large tree close to where the boys were. He hitched his bow around his torso and was just about to sit down at the base of the tree when suddenly Halt and Crowley walked into the far side of the clearing. Will froze, sensing that something was wrong, and watched them as they walked. Halt was speaking in a low and intense tone, and Crowley was shaking his head, muttering something back. But they both also froze in their tracks as they saw the two apprentices, who had stopped throwing, and Will leaning against the tree. Evan and Matthias both stared unabashedly at Halt and Crowley, but they only had eyes for Will. Crowley made an urgent gesture in Will's direction, saying something to Halt, and Halt sighed, letting his shoulders slump down. "Fine," he heard him mutter, and Will reslung his bow on his shoulder as he made his way over to where they were standing.

"Is... Something going on, Crowley?" Will asked, narrowing his eyes at Halt, who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Well..." Crowley started, his voice hesitant, and he glanced at Halt, raising both eyebrows.

Halt's eyes flicked up to meet Will's. "I need to... Talk to you. In private. Right now." His voice sounded strained.

Will squinted at Halt as a worm of worry wriggled it's way into his mind. Why is he so upset? "Alright, uhm... Crowley, would you mind - " Will started.

"Of course I will take care of those two. It seems that you have their technique very good anyway, so I'll just take them off to practice somewhere else. And Halt - " he glanced at Halt with narrowed eyes, "tell him everything. He needs to know." Halt gave him a pointed look, but Crowley just turned away and called for the two apprentices, and they all walked off out of the clearing, leaving Will and Halt alone in the mid afternoon sunlight that filtered feebly through the dense trees.

As complete silence fell upon the little clearing, bird calls swelled in the distance and the wind whooshed in a steady and pleasant breeze. Halt shifted uncomfortably and Will's anxiety increased. Halt always enjoys days like this. Why is he so upset? And about what? "So... What does Crowley think I need to know?" Will asked.

Halt wrung his hands in front of him, squeezing hard enough that the tips of his fingers turned white. His face was unreadable as usual, but his voice was tight and clipped as he said, "Well... I've been talking with him about this for a while now. And he figures that it's about time you knew."

Will frowned. "Knew... What?"

Halt flicked his eyes at the retreating figures of Crowley and the two boys, and then back at Will. "Let's take a walk."

The two Rangers strolled out of the clearing and down the trail, farther away from the campsite into the denser trees. The distant sounds of the Gathering's activities faded away into a peaceful silence, and bird calls echoed through the masses of branches and off canyon and cliff walls. The late afternoon sun hung low and lazy in the sky, extending long yellowed fingers through the dense branches, only a few ever reaching the forest floor, creating a dappled effect. The Rangers instinctively ducked through the patches of easy cover, moving in complete and careful silence without any conscious thought, although it was not as relaxed or peaceful as the forest around them. Will couldn't shake off the uneasiness about Halt. But he hadn't spoken for several minutes, not since they had left the small clearing and started walking. He'll tell me when he's ready. He's probably just organizing his thoughts... But what if it's like last time? When he told me about my parents... "Hey, Halt? Before you explain whatever is going on, just one thing... This had better not be another family matter, alright?"

Halt reared back. "What? Why would you think it was that in the first place? I haven't even told you what this is about!"

Will sighed a little. "The last time you acted like this, you told me about how my mother and father died. I'm just hoping this isn't something like that."

"No, no, this has nothing to do with your parents..." He made an urgent hand gesture, and trailed off again, deep in thought. There were several minutes of dead silence again, and Will could feel Halt thinking furiously beside him.

"Do you know how long I've been a Ranger?"

The question was so sudden, so out of the blue, that Will's head snapped around to look at him as he spoke. "I... A long time. A very long time."

Halt looked down at his boots as they walked, and spoke in a quiet, emotionless tone. "A very very long time. Longer than most other Rangers in the Corps... Besides Crowley and a few others, of course." Halt kicked a rock aside, and then glanced up at Will. His voice was still quiet, but he sounded less tentative. "And do you know how many missions I've gone on?"

Will's eyebrows furrowed down as he frowned a little. "Not an exact number, but... A lot? Why are you asking me this?"

Halt sighed a little, and stopped walking, pausing in the shadow of a large oak tree. His dark eyes met Will's as he said, "And do you know how many were successful? How many that weren't? What about those ones that didn't really work, but didn't go bad either?"

Will's frown deepened. "Halt... I don't know. Why are you - "

"I know that you enjoy reminding me of this, but bear with me for just a moment and allow me to say it frankly: I'm getting older. I am not young and spry, and I've seen a lot of things over all the years, sometimes maybe too much." Halt spoke firmly, his eyes dead serious. Will pushed back all the questions in his mind, realizing that Halt was trying to tell him something really important.

"And... Well, I've been thinking about this for sometime now, and it's been decided. And I think you should know." Halt sighed again, looking back down at his boots. Then his head snapped back up, his eyebrows low, a face Will was very familiar with. It was the expression Halt got when he had set his mind to something and was refusing to back down. "Will, I'm going to retire."

Will stood very still, desperately keeping his face expressionless, trying to stem the flood of thoughts that had filled his brain. Halt's going to retire. He's going to retire. That's good, right? Right? But I'll be alone. He won't be there anymore, and I'll be all alone. What will I do when he's gone? No, he'll still be there. I'll be fine. This is good for him. But... Halt stood silently, looking intensely at Will. Will tried to pull himself together, to wrangle all the questions and worries all tangled in his mind. But I saw this coming, didn't I? You've thought about it before, you knew some day he would have to, but now that it's actually happening...

Will realized Halt had said something. "Aren't you going to say something? Don't you have a question for me? You always have a question for me."

Will suddenly understood that Halt was desperate for a reaction, something that showed him what he thought about his decisions but there were still so many thoughts racing through his mind that all Will could formulate in those few seconds was "...Alright..."

Halt's eyebrows flew up towards his receding hairline. "Alright? Alright? I tell you I'm going to retire and all you have to say to me is alright?"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Why, were you expecting something else?" But suddenly in his mind, everything became clear. He expects me to be upset... But I'm not. Halt is retiring. I'm not upset at all, in fact, this is good.

Halt shook his head in wonder. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I was expecting something along the lines of 'Oh, Halt, please don't retire, the Ranger Corps needs you, I need you'. Or maybe just something slightly more descriptive than alright."

Will smiled at Halt's impression of him. "But that's not what I mean. I think you should retire."

Halt's eyebrows soared even higher. "So now you want me out of here? You just want the old hermits out to make way for you young spry ones?"

Will laughed out loud. "No, of course not. I just think that you're ready. You've spent a long time doing this job, and maybe it's time for a rest." He could see Halt's brain whirling as he took in Will's unexpected reaction, his eyebrows scrunching down and his lips pursing. "I can see you thinking. I promise I'm not just laughing it off. You deserve the rest, and you'll still be in the Corps. You can still go on an occasional mission, go to the Gatherings, and advise the King. It will just be a bit more relaxing."

He saw a faint smile creep across Halt's lips. "That does sound rather nice. Also,when I leave, all of Redmont Fief will be yours, so you'll be so busy you won't even miss me, which you still undoubtedly will."

Will rolled his eyes. "It can't be that much more work. We did most of it together anyway, so this time it'll be the same amount of work, instead it'll just be me doing it. And of course I'll miss you, except that you'll still be living in the same fief as me."

Halt nodded, and started walking again, this time in the direction of the camp, and Will hurried to catch up and walk abreast with him. "I figure we'd best be getting back, it's almost dinner time. And I know you wanted to go cook with Berrigan this time."

"Yes..." Will stopped as they walked up the trail near the campsite, and said softly, "Halt, I really want you to know, I think this is good. Don't worry about me, and most importantly, don't worry about yourself." Then he turned and headed off towards the main campfire, leaving Halt alone in the middle of the trail.

 **Hey guys! I don't normally leave authors notes, so I'll be quick. Right off the bat, thandk you all for the continued encouragement! I am very happy that you are all enjoying the story. I finally managed to figure out how tot answer my reviews (FINALLY) and so now if you leave me a review, you'll get an answer! Some of you should have already received some answers from me, and any new reviews you leave starting right now will be answered personally be me. Again, thank you all so much for supporting me and leaving me so many wonderful and helpful reviews. Hope to talk to you all soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5 - Ambush

That evening, the Rangers set a few small fires glowing for light in preparation for their meal. Will and Berrigan both cooked along with another older senior Ranger named Jonathan. Earlier in the day, Ranger Jonathan had set several small pigs roasting slowly over hot fires, and now the fat was just starting to drip onto the hot coals. Will had gathered some apples from his pack, cut them up, and put the pieces into a pot full of boiling water. A few minutes later, the pieces had browned and softened, and Will smashed up the pieces until a smooth sauce was created. He put in a few spoonfuls of sugar for sweetness and some cinnamon and nutmeg, and poured the applesauce into large pitchers. He also swept some wilted greens off the flat stone he had been cooking them on into another platter to be eaten with the pork and applesauce. Berrigan was stripping the pigs off the spits and carving the fragrant and juicy meat, setting the slices on large platters to be served. He had also previously set some large rounds of dough into the coals of the fires, and now he pulled them out, revealing warm, golden, freshly-baked bread. He sliced them up as well and put them into large baskets. Jonathan laid out several long tables and arranged the benches around the small fires they had lit earlier for light. By now it had grown completely dark, and a steady stream of hungry Rangers flowed in by the dozen, drawn by the light, warmth, and aroma of food.

Will, Berrigan, and Jonathan waited until all the seats at the benches had been filled. Then they brought out the flasks of wine and water, setting them on the tables. The Rangers cheered heartily, produced their own mugs, and filled them, quickly emptying each jug. Then Crowley stood, raising his hands for quiet. "Welcome, everyone, to another Gathering!" A large cheer rose from the crowd of green and grey, now only an indistinctive blur in the darkness under the trees. Crowley let them cheer for a moment and then called for silence again. "Yes, yes, another year has gone by, I suppose, and for most of you young ones, that's exciting. But for others it means you've lost a few more hairs, maybe gained a bit of belly - "

"Are you sure you're not just describing yourself?" called Halt from one end of the tables.

All the Rangers laughed, as did Crowley, who said, "Quite sure, Halt, quite sure. Sure about myself, that is. I'm not so certain about you though..."

A low rumbling and a few scattered laughs and giggles swelled for a moment, and then silence fell again. Crowley continued, "Just a few housekeeping type things before we get to what we really want: the food." He pulled out a folded paper from his pocket. "Jonathan, my old friend, come on out of the bushes. I know you're back there with Will and Berrigan, but you can't bring out the food just yet." The older Ranger smiled and stepped out and made his way through the tables to the front. Crowley grinned at him and said, "I would like to present to you the gold oak leaf as a symbol of your new status as a retired Ranger. May you regain some of your hair now that you're finally off duty."

Jonathan laughed and walked up to Crowley, grinning. "And may you lose that 'bit of a belly' you gained from my cooking!" The whole assembly laughed and cheered as he exchanged his silver for a gold. Then as he stepped back over towards Will, he muttered to him, "That's the last meal I'll be cooking for this ragged lot. I'm going to go sit down with my friends, and you can serve the meal with Berrigan." And with that succinct and final statement, he turned and walked towards a long bench nearby. He seemed to realize how frankly he had spoken and turned back briefly, saying, "It was nice working with you, Will, and you, Berrigan." Then he turned and sat next to a boisterous and smiling group of older Rangers.

Will glanced at Berrigan. "Well, so much for the three of us."

Berrigan rolled his eyes at Will. "I think we'll do fine on our own. And if we have any sort of trouble, we can always ask Halt."

Will nodded. "True, he's a surprisingly good cook. Although, I think you're right in the fact that we'll be fine. Besides, all we have left to do is serve the meal." But as Will's gaze flicked off into the forest, he froze for a moment. A familiar feeling bubbled up in his stomach. Someone is watching us. Will squinted off into the darkness, trying to sense any movement from the brush. But there was nothing. Only the cool breeze and pale light of the moon. There's nothing there, snap out of it. Maybe you tasted the raw food and are getting sick or something.

Berrigan nudged him, and Will shook his head slightly, turning back toward the clearing. Crowley was saying, "... Preston, I'm moving you to Hackam Fief. You'll do better for the coastal air and the moondarkers, of course. And, last but not least, Clark, you're going to Fairway Fief. Time for a bigger fief with bigger problems. And that leaves the lovely Caraway Fief to Lionel." With that he folded his paper up briskly and tucked it back into his jerkin. "Now I know none of you came here to hear me talk, so let's get down to the real business: Will, Berrigan, bring on the food!" A loud cheer arose from the group and they all turned expectantly towards the cooking fires.

Will and Berrigan both grabbed as many platters and pitchers as they could carry and started distributing them among the tables. As they both served the food, Will forced himself not to glance out into the forest, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the feeling in his gut. Soon they had everything out, and Will moved over to where Halt and Gilan were and sat down next to them, swiping a light sheen of sweat from his brow and swallowing a particularly strong surge of unexplainable uneasiness. "Why do I do that to myself every year?"

"Because you enjoy it," Halt said matter-a-factly as he piled pork onto his plate.

"Because it's fun. And you're good at it," Gilan added as he spooned the applesauce next to the pork, dipping a finger in and tasting it. "This is really good. You made this, right?" Will nodded. "It's very good." He sliced off a large piece of pork, dunked it into his puddle of applesauce, and ate the whole thing in one bite, chewing noisily. "Vurr gud. Vurr gud in-een."

Will grinned as Halt rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Gil. I learned it from Master Chubb." See, they aren't worried. This is all for nothing, stop worrying and start eating.

Halt was now raising an eyebrow at Gilan. "I thought I taught you better table manners."

Gilan gulped down the huge bite and smirked. "You never taught me table manners."

Halt shrugged. "True. Then I suppose it's not my fault you eat like your horse."

Gilan put his fork down indignantly. "I'll have you know, Blaze eats quite neatly compared to most horses."

Halt fired back, drawling in a voice so familiar to Will from his years as an apprentice, "And how neat could that possibly be?"

"Alright, alright, let's just settle on the fact that the food is good and leave it at that." Crowley came up behind them next to Will and Halt across from Gilan. He leaned down next to Will and spoke into his ear so that the others couldn't hear. "Did he tell you?" Will met Crowley's eyes and nodded. Crowley gestured, and he got up from the bench and moved to one side of the clearing. Crowley leaned in and said softly, "So you know he's retiring? What else did he tell you?"

Will glanced quickly over at their table, and saw that Gilan was unsuccessfully trying not to look at them. He looked back at Crowley and said in the same soft tone, "Not much. He was mostly worried I would be upset..."

Crowley looked at him somberly. "And were you? Are you?"

Will thought for a moment, then shrugged. "At first I was... Rattled. I wasn't upset, exactly, but I certainly wasn't expecting it. But after I thought about it... I think it's good. He should settle down with Pauline."

Crowley was nodding, smiling slightly. "My thoughts exactly when he first told me a few months ago. He's been working for a while. It's about time he took a rest."

Will nodded and smiled. "I can't explain how, but I think I've been expecting it for sometime now. I mean, well, I wasn't really expecting it this afternoon, but it's not like I haven't noticed how old he is. Most other Rangers his age retired ages ago."

Crowley nodded again. "Same with me. Although, most Rangers aren't Halt." Will nodded, thinking hard. Crowley continued, "Did he tell you when he planned to leave for good?" Will shook his head. "He was thinking about taking the gold in a few months. Not right away, still enough time for a few more jobs and for him to tie up some loose ends, but he's aiming for the end of this year."

Will chewed his lip thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I was just wondering... Was there a specific reason he's just decided to retire?"

Crowley shifted his stance. "Well... He didn't give me any specific reasons, but I have my suspicions..."

"Really? What do you think it is?"

"Well..." He shifted uncomfortably again, and Will narrowed his eyes slightly. "He told me shortly around the time he found out that you and Alyss were trying to... You know..."

Will sighed and rolled his eyes. "That was supposed to be private. We only told a few people."

Crowley smirked. "Unfortunately, the people you told may have also told it to some other people..."

Will huffed. So much for privacy. I bet everyone knows and Crowley's just trying to be nice. "Well, to get rid of any rumors, yes, it's true that Alyss and I are trying to have a child. Trying, and so far, not succeeding."

Crowley grinned widely and clapped Will on the shoulder. "Don't worry. It's only been a few months."

Will rolled his eyes again, trying to hide his embarrassment and red-tinged face. "True..." Time to switch topics. "So what does that have to do with Halt's retirement?"

"I think, or at least my current theory is, that when he heard about that, he realized that you weren't that same boy he took in as his apprentice all those years ago." Crowley leaned in closer, whispering softly as if it would be a crime for Halt to hear it. "I think he finally came to terms with the fact that he is getting very old. He realized that he should be with Pauline more, since she's starting to take more time off from the Diplomatic Service."

Will's eyebrows scrunched together. "That... Makes sense." He glanced back over at the table. Now Gilan was openly looking at them as they talked, and Halt's head was turned slightly so that he could hear better. He looked back at Crowley. "Just one more thing... How many people know about me and Alyss?"

Crowley chuckled. "More than you think. Now let's get back to the food before it all goes cold, shall we?"

Will nodded numbly, still lost in thought and trying to cool his red cheeks as they both walked back over to the table. Halt raised an eyebrow as they sat down next to him again. "Are you two done? Because the food's going cold, and I think you would hate to miss this." He pushed a plate over towards Will, loaded with pork smothered in applesauce, wilted greens, and thick warm slices of bread with berry preserves spread lavishly on top. Will shrugged at Crowley and plopped down next to Halt, digging into the pork. He nodded across the table to Gilan, mumbling, "You're right 'bout the 'pple sauce, it's vurry good, I'll ha' to tell Mast' Chubb."

Halt rolled his eyes at Will. "Now I thought for sure I had at least taught you some manners."

Crowley laughed and leaned down next to Halt. "It seems that your teaching methods lacked in the table manner department, considering that you have none of your own. Aren't you going to make me a plate?"

Halt narrowed his eyes at him. "Why would I make you food when you could go back to your own plate over there?" He gestured vaguely at another table across the way.

Crowley shrugged with mock sadness. "I suppose I'll just go then. If you don't want me..."

As he walked off, Halt leaned across the bench next to Will and murmured, "So what did he have to ask you about my retirement?"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Not much for privacy, are you? In more ways than one..."

Now it was Halt's turn to raise an eyebrow. "What? What other way?"

Will now raised both eyebrows. "Wait, you didn't tell anyone else about me and Alyss?"

Halt lowered both brows into a puzzled frown. "No... What does my retirement have to do with you and Alyss? And what about you and Alyss?"

"Nothing... I'll explain later - "

"When did you find out about Halt's retirement?" Gilan asked Will.

"Just today."

"Today? Why - "

"Later, Gilan." Halt rubbed his face with his fist, taking a deep breath. "You never answered my question."

Will glanced at Gilan and shrugged. "He just wanted to make sure that you had told me everything. And apparently you hadn't, because he gave me some other information about it - "

"What other information?" Halt leaned forward.

"Ask Crowley if you really want to know."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because this is between Crowley and you... For the most part."

"For the most part? What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I can't tell you - "

"Will! Come join me?" Will whirled around, coming face-to-face with Berrigan again. He was holding his large guitarra in his left hand and extending another case out to Will with his right. It was his mandola case.

"O-of course. Thanks." Will reached out and took the case, popping it open on his lap and pulling out the beautiful mandola. After all these years he still used the very same one Lord Orman had given to him so long ago in Mackindaw. Will smiled slightly as he ran his hand along the smooth wood.

Halt leaned in. "We will finish this discussion later, it seems, with Crowley."

Will glanced up. "What's to finish?"

"What's going on with you and Alyss, that's what's to finish."

Will shrugged at him. "I'm surprised you don't know, considering nearly everyone else does, according to Crowley, anyway." He glared at Gilan as he giggled.

"Oh, you mean - " Halt's eyebrows shot up as he suddenly understood, and Will glared at him until he fell silent again.

Will rose from the table and was about to go with Berrigan, but Halt also rose and put a hand on Will's shoulder. He said to Berrigan, "If you don't mind waiting, just give us a moment, please." He nodded and stepped back a few paces, and started strumming and tuning his guitarra. Halt pulled Will a few steps from the table and then whispered, "I've been meaning to ask you this all evening. This might sound a little strange, but have you been feeling alright?"

Will's eyes widened in surprise. "Feeling alright? Me?" Halt nodded. "Well... No actually. I've been feeling... strange."

Halt nodded again, and whispered even more quietly, "Good, I was hoping I wasn't getting sick. So you've been feeling it too?"

"Yes. I feel like this whole evening something or someone has been..."

"Watching us. Exactly." Halt glanced furtively around the camp again. By now, the Rangers were finishing up their meals, setting their empty plates back and talking. The dull murmur of voices now rose a little louder, and no one else seemed to feel nervous. Halt turned back to Will. "I don't know why we feel like this, so I supposed we just have to wait for now. If you see anything, tell me."

Will nodded. "Of course. It's good to know I'm not just paranoid, because for a while there..." He made a helpless gesture with his hands.

Halt showed the ghost of a smile. "Me too," he whispered briefly. He quickly glanced at Berrigan, who was still standing there waiting, and shooed Will off. "Go on. I'll fill Gilan in."

Will nodded, and picked his mandola up off the bench. Then he started to walk over to Berrigan, turning back towards Halt for one moment.

That's when the arrow hit.

It was the mandola that saved his life. The arrow that came hissing through the air and smacked straight into the round, smooth wood of the back of the instrument, throwing it from Will's grip. He had turned just enough that the mandola shielded his lower torso for that split second, and next thing he knew the mandola snapped with a loud crack and hit the ground next to him. Next thing Will knew, Halt had flung himself from the bench and thrown himself on top of Will, both of them hitting the ground as yet another arrow slammed into the benches above them with a hiss crack! "Don't move," he heard Halt hiss into his ear. His face was pressed into the dirt, but he managed to turn his head just slightly to be able to see. In the split second after he had been shot at, the other Rangers had flung themselves to the ground. Now they were all scrabbling around in the dirt, their cowls flipped up, finding cover under tables and benches. Halt slid off Will silently and rose to his hands and knees, peering around the tables. His cowl shadowed his face and Will couldn't make out his expression. "Will, are you alright?" he murmured softly, still peering off into the forest.

Will pushed himself into a sitting position, his hands still shaking slightly. "Yes, I think so. What happened? Who's shooting at us?"

Halt turned toward him. "I don't know." Will shrugged his bow off his shoulder and notched a couple arrows in one single movement, and then glanced around the camp properly. All the Rangers were huddled under tables and behind trees and shrubs, dead silent except for the occasional whisper of furious conversation. Will's mandola lay in a heap of shattered wood and strings on the ground just a few feet from where Will and Halt sat. The lone dark-shafted arrow stood straight up out of the carnage of the beautiful instrument like a flag of victory. Berrigan, who had been standing next to Will, had flung himself under a nearby table. He now crouched under that same table, his knives at the ready. He was looking at Will with an urgent expression on his face. Will nodded at him, to reassure him he was alright. Berrigan nodded back, and flipped up his cowl.

Will turned back to Halt. "Why've they stopped shooting?"

Halt pulled his cowl back a little so that Will could see his face. His eyes were narrowed into slits of concentration. "Will, I don't know."

If Halt doesn't know, then no one knows. Will couldn't stop the sudden surge of fear as it welled up in his stomach, and he clenched his jaw against the urge to run. "So someone was watching us."

Halt nodded. "This whole time. We have to get out of here. We're sitting ducks, all bunched up under these tables. If we don't get out soon..." He never finished his sentence, but Will understood. If we don't get out soon, most of us will die.

Will squinted around at the rest of the tables, spotting Harrison crushed under one not too far from him. Trevor was tucked back further under the table, and had his saxe knife out in a shaking hand and his throwing knife in the other. He was trying to look brave, but it was apparent by how vigorously he was shaking that he was actually terrified. And rightly so, thought Will. Crowley was also under a bench with several other older Rangers nearer to the front of the clearing. Everyone seems alright... For now. Will swung his gaze across to a table a few feet from theirs. It was the one he, Halt, and Gilan, had been sitting at along with a few other Rangers. Gilan was now crouched under the same table, whispering to a few of the Rangers. Good thing Gilan's alright still. He wasn't hit... The arrow. "Hey, Halt?"

Halt murmured, "What?" his eyes still trained on the forest.

"If I got one of their arrows, could you identify it?"

Halt turned suddenly, looking straight at Will. "No. You aren't going out there."

"That's right, I'm not. I'm just going to reach around the bench and pull the arrow out of the wood, that one that almost hit me. Oh, and thanks for saving me back there."

Halt glared at him. "You're welcome, at that will be for nothing if you get shot trying to retrieve a bloody arrow. Besides, I believe it was mostly your lute that saved your skin - "

But Will didn't even wait for him to finish. In one quick movement, he reached around the side of the bench and his hand closed on the thick shaft of the arrow. He wrenched with all his might, and the arrow head came loose. Then Halt reached over and yanked him back further under the table. They both froze, waiting for the arrows to come splitting over their heads. But none came.

"You're damn lucky you didn't just lose your hand, and with the accuracy of their shooting, you could have," Halt hissed angrily. But his eyes widened as they focus on the black shaft of an arrow clutched in Will's fist. He eased the arrow out of his grip and stared with wide eyes at the familiar black shaft, the black fletching, and the razor sharp arrow head.

"That's... That looks like your arrow, Halt."

Halt nodded, still gazing at the arrow. But now his eyes had narrowed into slits of anger. "It is my arrow. Or at least, it's the type of arrow I model my own after."

Will gaped at him. "What?"

"I know who's shooting at us. And you're not going to be happy when I tell you."

Halt looked straight into Will's eyes with his own intense, dark gaze.

"It's the Temujai."


	6. Chapter 6

Will's eyes widened. "The Temujai? How - "

"For the last time, Will, I don't know. But I do know that we all need to move now, or else we are all going to die. Now are you ready?"

Will forced back his questions, and swallowed hard. "Yes. What's the plan?"

"Well, unfortunately there aren't really many options. I was thinking something along the lines of everyone running at the same time." He squinted off towards the forest. "There are several paths through the forest that should be small enough to conceal this amount of people."

Will's eyes widened. "Really? That's your plan? Run and hope for the best?"

Halts glared at him angrily. "Oh, please, if you have any better suggestions, let me know." He glanced across the way to where Gilan was. He waved at him, making a few hand gestures. Gilan nodded, and started whispering harshly to the Rangers with him. Halt turned back to Will. "You remember the Gathering emergency protocols?"

"Yes, but - "

"We don't have time for this. The longer we wait, the more people are going to die. I don't know why these Temujai are attacking us, but the fact that they knew where our Gathering was is very disturbing to me. Will," he spoke softer now, putting a hand on Will's shoulder. "I need you to take all the Rangers to Castle Araluen. The King must be notified of this immediately. There will be a lot wounded. Get them all there as safely as possible, and work with the King. Don't come back, do you understand?"

Will gaped at him. "What, do you think I'm just going to leave you here with who knows how many bloodthirsty Temujai on your tail, completely alone? And besides, what will you be doing while I'm gone?"

"You won't be leaving me alone. I'll regroup with Crowley or Gilan, or anyone who I know I can trust to make it out. I'm going to track these blasted Temujai and find out how they found us."

"You can't do that alone, or even just with Crowley!"

"Yes, I can, and I'm going to. And you're going to get the Rangers to Duncan."

Will's hands tightened on his bow, his knuckles turning white. "But what if - "

"If nothing. You're going to need all the help you can get, that's why I'm only taking Crowley."

Will's eyes widened and he grabbed Halt's shoulder, the first hint of his fear showing on his face. "Can't someone else do it? Why can't I stay with you?"

Halt leaned in close, hissing furiously, "Because you're the only one I can trust to lead them all."

Will sat back, his mouth gaping like a fish. Me? I'm the only one he trusts? How can that be? "Halt… Are you sure?"

Halt leaned in again and whispered in a softer, more gentle voice, "I don't know anyone else who could do this, except for you. And I know you can do it, without me."

Will nodded numbly. Without Halt. "But are you really sure? Are you certain you don't want me to stay - "

"I have never been more certain about anything in my entire life." Halt held Will's eyes for a long moment, his former apprentice's eyes widening as everything registered. Halt let his head drop, sighing briefly. "Now are you ready?"

Will nodded, and when Halt glanced back up at him, there was a determination in his eyes, one Halt had seen many times before: when they were sent to kill the Kalkara, when he lead the archery force in Skandia, and when he set off into the Arridi desert to search for Tug. Now, many years later, that same fire still lit up Will's eyes as he accepted and curbed his fear into the driving force that made him such a good Ranger. He's better than I ever was, thought Halt. And that's a damn good thing, too, because otherwise I would be alone right now. Alone, and probably long dead.

"Whenever you are," Will said softly, his voice set and unwavering.

Halt flashed a smile at him and turned to give the signal, but Will out a hand on his arm. His eyes were a little sad, as if he knew what could happen to them. "I'll see you in a few days, right?"

Halt turned slightly and tried to smile. That depends on if we both manage to survive these next few minutes. And even then… Days? It could be weeks, even months. But he choked back his doubt and managed to reply, "Yes… In a few days."

Will sat back, satisfied. They both hefted their weapons under the table, squatting on their knees. Under the table next to him, Will saw Gilan and the others do the same. Suddenly, all the other Rangers under the tables moved as well, lifting knives and bows, preparing to move. The most amazing thing was that there was no sound, even though over fifty people had just prepared for battle. But the mass movement was unavoidable, and just as Halt ducked out from under the table, waving his arm, a hail of black arrows flitted from the trees all around them like a swarm of bees. Thrumm - thrumm - thrumm - thrumm… Suddenly the clearing was filled with the sound of recurve bows snapping off shots. All the Rangers who had made it out from under the tables ducked, and it was a miracle that no one was hit.

As soon as Halt moved, Will crawled out after him. Once he was in the open, several arrows split over his head, and he ducked and weaved, heading over toward another table. He squatted to one side and snapped off a shot into the woods where he spotted movement. A figure fell out of the tree, the grey arrow sunk deep into his chest. The man wore light leather armor over thick linen clothing, in the desert grey and brown colors of the Temujai.

All around Will was chaos. Rangers were running across the clearing, shooting from cover blindly into the trees, some arrows hitting the enemy, others not. Some had remained under the tables briefly, and now came out into the open. Temujai were pouring out of the trees into the clearing and engaging the Rangers. They fought furiously, saber-on-knife, and Will winced as he heard several cries of pain. Are those Temujai? Or Rangers? He shook his head out of the his daze as he heard a cry. A Tem'uj had come running out of the trees nearest his position and was sprinting at him, screaming something nasty at him. Will calmly slung up his bow and drew both knives, raising and crossing them just in time as the saber arched toward his head. They clashed together with a loud clang that echoed through the clearing. The Temujai whipped his sword down, nicking Will's jaw with the tip, and then back quickly, settling into a fighting stance. Will blinked as the cut on his jaw stung. This must be master swordsman, he thought as he desperately held off a few heavy and quickly blows from the saber with his short knives. He received another nick on his hairline near his ear, which was small but bled heavily, running down the side of his face. The Tem'uj smiled wickedly as he gained ground, and as he took a few menacing steps forward, his boot crushed the broken shards of Will's once beautiful mandola. Oh, no you don't. Not my mandola, you murderer. Will stepped back and sheathed his knives in one smooth movement, and the Tem'uj was so surprised that he faltered for a minute. His saber hovered unsteadily in the air for a split second. That was just enough time for Will to reach behind him, grab an arrow from his quiver, and stab the arrowhead into the shoulder of the Tem'uj, plunging it deep into the chink in his armor. The man screamed as the arrow sunk deeply into his shoulder, his saber dropping from his hand as the arrows sliced main arteries and nerves. Will stepped back, yanking the barbed head of the arrow out mercilessly as he went, and a huge spurt of blood immediately gushed from the wound. He collapsed to the ground, gasping. Will slung his bow off his shoulder, ignoring the blood that ran in rivulets down his hand and dripped off the tip of his arrow, notched that same arrow, and shot at another Tem'uj coming at him. The man never even had a chance, dropping instantly, dead before he even fell, as the razor sharp head bit through the armor as if it weren't there. Ducking under the lance of another soldier, Will swiped up a few shards of wood from the wreckage of his instrument and slipped them into his pocket.

Will fired off several arrows, killing more of the Temujai. But more just kept coming out of the trees. He glanced around. Most of the other Rangers had disappeared into the forest by now. Only a few small skirmishes remained, and most Temujai had disappeared into the brush to pursue the Rangers. Across the clearing, he could see Halt snapping off shot after shot, dropping man after man. By his side was Crowley, who was fighting the men hand-to-hand, protecting Halt. Halt's eyes glanced across the clearing and met Will's own, nodding. He mouthed, In a few days. Will nodded. Then Halt snapped off one last shot, grabbed Crowley's arm, and they ducked into the forest. A few remaining Temujai tried to follow them, but Will sent a few arrows chasing them and they all dropped to the ground like sacks of potatoes. Now the clearing was empty, the large majority of Rangers having escaped unharmed into the forest. Hopefully unharmed, although that's quite a long shot. Will's eyes flew to one far corner of the clearing, where one last small group was fighting. It was Harrison, fending off a swordsman with his knives, while Trevor huddled behind him, feebly brandishing his knives and whimpering at the men. Will started toward them. Then Harrison screamed, and Will's jog turned into a flat-out sprint. The swordsman had sunk his blade into the meaty part of his shoulder, and as he pulled it out, Harrison bent in half, dropping his knives, staggering away from the man. But this movement had saved his life, as another Tem'uj behind him loosed an arrow at him. As he ducked, the arrow flew over his head, missing Harrison, and hitting….

Trevor.

Right in the center of the chest.

Harrison collapsed to the ground, rolling, but faltered as he heard Trevor's gasp. The swordsman smiled wickedly, raising his blade for the final blow. But he never got the chance because by then Will had reached the group. A red haze blurred his vision as the anger of seeing fellow Rangers hurt overtook him. He savagely stabbed his saxe into the spine of the swordsman, and the saber fell from his hands as he lost feeling in his extremities. He collapsed to the ground, and would be dead in minutes. Will slashed the throat of the man next to him, and then fired one last arrow at the final Tem'uj. Then, as the haze faded, he whirled around, falling to the ground next to Harrison, who was clutching his shoulder, and the pale form of Trevor, the arrow sticking out of his chest. Trevor was breathing heavily, his face now a sickly white color, his eyes bugging out of his head. Harrison tried to lean in and put his hands on the wound, but he was in too much pain. Will pushed him back, and leaned in, pressing his hands down on the tattered skin around the arrow. He fought the urge to throw up as the warm, steady bubbly glug of blood oozed around his hands, drenching them, instantly traveling up his sleeves. Trevor tried to cough, but all that came out was blood, and it sprayed across the grass next to him in sickly hail of red rain that stained the individual blades of green. "Trevor, look up at me. Look up!" Will hissed, trying to stem the rush of blood.

Trevor's eyes rolled slowly away from the sky, focusing dimly on Will's face. "Ranger… Will? Is that… Really you?"

Will fought the urge to gag as the act of speaking made more blood bubble up from his chest. "Y-yes, it's me Trevor. You have to hold on, alright? Hold on, we are going to get you out of here."

Trevor smiled, but it wasn't a real smile. He was delirious, and he laughed slightly in his hallucinations, causing another spurt of blood to run over Will's hands. Will swallowed back his pork and applesauce. "Get me… Out of here? I know you can… Do it. You're… Ranger Will. You can do… Anything..." His voice trailed off as he giggled again.

Will looked over at Harrison, who was leaning over them both. "Are you strong enough to carry him?"

Harrison nodded, wincing as he tore off a bit of his shirt, and then stuffed it deep into the hole in his shoulder. He took a second, much larger wad, and stuffed around the flesh on Trevor's chest. The bleeding slowed slightly, and he nodded again. "Yes. But you'll have to lead me, and if anyone jumps out, you had better shoot them quick."

"That's the plan. On three." At Will's count, he helped Harrison lift Trevor. Once he was stable, Will smeared some of the slick blood covering his hands on Trevor's cloak, and then drew three arrows and laid them on the string. The clearing was silent now, no one seemed to be around, but Will and Harrison knew otherwise. The Temujai were probably hiding in the trees, just waiting for any stragglers like them to come stumbling right into their traps. Will started forward into the forest, Harrison staggering closely behind at an uneven, painful, but fast pace. They jogged silently through the brush, heading towards somewhere, anywhere, but the remnants of chaos behind them.

Will's eyes flicked back and forth as they moved through the trees, step after step. They ran through the terrifying silence for a good fifteen minutes, with no disturbances. But Will could barely hear anything except the sound of his own blood pumping through his ears - thuh thump, thuh thump, thuh thump. It's a miracle the Temujai haven't heard it yet, thought Will as his heart beat jumped to a faster tempo. Thuh thump thuh thump thuh thump thuh thump. He glanced out into the trees. Someone's out there… Waiting for us. Will started to feel lightheaded. They must be close. Then his vision went blurry as his pulse reached a gallop. Thuhthumpthuhthumpthuhthumpthuhthump - Then suddenly something twitched in the trees, and later Will could have sworn it was the curve of a bow. Something brushed past his face with a distinct whizz sound and thunked into the tree behind him. He blinked as a small trickle of blood ran near his eye. An arrow. Charged with adrenaline, he raised his bow and snapped off the shot, and a dark figure fell out of the tree, hitting the packed ground with a dull thud. Will crouched as he waited for someone else to pop out, his heart still pounding. He waited for someone else to jump out of the darkness, their saber dripping with blood, ready to slaughter them. Thuhthumpthuhthumpthuhthumpthuhthump - But no one did. After a few seconds of silence again, he rose again and signaled to Harrison, who had also crouched. He now stood shakily and started jogging again. They moved in complete silence again for another quarter hour, and Will felt his heartbeat slow down to a normal pace. Now the trees were becoming less dense. The moon was visible above them, shining eerie white light on them, casting shadows where there shouldn't be any, and creating movement when everything was still. When another fifteen minutes passed of nothing, Will dared to whisper into the darkness, "I think we're clear of the immediate perimeter. How's Trevor?"

"Not good. He's only barely conscious." Harrison puffed as he jogged after Will. "How much longer until we reach the meeting place?"

"Not long now. The trees are thinning," Will whispered as he glanced up at the moon. It had risen higher into the sky, it's light now getting brighter and less eerie. He saw a cover of thick trees off to his right, and he jogged toward them. He stopped as he came up to them and slung his bow onto his shoulder, puffing as he caught his breath. Harrison staggered over to him, and struggled to lower Trevor to the ground, and Will reached up to help him. Trevor sprawled on the roots of one of the trees, his chest rising and falling heavily. So he's still alive, thought Will.

Harrison collapsed next to Will, hissing in pain. Will leaned over to check his shoulder. It was still bleeding a little, but the cloth in the wound had stopped a lot of the bleeding. "You're going to be alright. You managed to stop the bleeding soon enough." Will started to tear a long strip of cloth from his shirt, but Harrison handed him his own strip, and Will expertly bound it tightly around his shoulder.

"Thanks, Will," he murmured softly, and Will nodded in return, not really listening. He had now turned his attention to Trevor. In the light of the moon, his face had taken on a gray pallor, and his whole body trembled. His eyes were half closed as he convulsed and spasmed, blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth. "My god," he heard Harrison gasp as he leaned over Trevor.

Will put his hands back around the arrow, a fresh wave of warm liquid squeezing out of the soaked rag that was stuffed in the wound. Trevor's eyes opened slightly, but he wasn't laughing anymore. Is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing? He choked back the throat-closing fear. "Trevor, hold on. You have to hold on. We're almost there. You have to fight."

Trevor blinked once, his movements sluggish, words slurred. "I've been fighting for… A long time."

Will fought the tears that were forming in his eyes. "I know, but you can't give up. Not now, not when we're so close to safety - "

Trevor's trembling hand reached over and squeezed Harrison's tightly. No words were exchanged, but they both gave each other long meaningful looks. Then Trevor turned back to Will. "Ranger Will… I want you to know… Something." His voice was getting softer and weaker with every word.

Will leaned in to hear him. "What is it?"

Trevor's eyes rolled in their sockets, but he kept talking. "The reason why… I wanted to be a Ranger… Was you." Will sucked in another breath and blinked to hold back his tears. "You saved so many people… So many lives. I wanted to do that… Too."

Harrison stayed hunched over Trevor, but he was shaking now, and Will saw tears dripping off the end of the older Ranger's nose. He also bent over and put his hands on top of Will's, doubling the pressure on Trevor's chest. "Come on, Trevor, don't talk like that. You're going to be fine - "

"I know you can save... the others. You have to keep… Fighting, Ranger. Keep fighting. Don't lose… Hope." Suddenly Trevor emitted a gurgling gasp, and he choked out, "I - I can't - breathe - "

Will turned his head to one side and Trevor choked out more blood onto the grass. The light was almost gone from his eyes. "Hold on, Trevor, hold on - "

"I can't - I can't - " Trevor muttered. His hands trembled as the reached up and feebly wrapped his fingers around Will's and Harrison's hands. His eyes moved back and forth between their faces, not even focusing anymore. His head started to fall to one side, and Will grabbed his cheek with a bloody hand, forcing him to look up into their eyes.

"No, Trevor, don't you give up now - "

But his eyes locked on Will's and suddenly the fog cleared. The spark was back. His hands fell limp, sliding down to the ground again. Trevor breathed, "Don't lose hope."

His hands went slack, and his glassy pupils were filled with the white light of the moon directly Above, a shining white orb on his dead eyes.

And he moved no more.


	7. Chapter 7

Will sat in silence next to Trevor for several seconds after, waiting. Waiting for him to open his eyes again. But he didn't. After a few moments, Harrison bent down and buried his face in his apprentice's cloak, making no sound. Will wrenched his eyes away from Trevor's body and forced himself to his knees, and then to his feet. He took a few staggering steps, his head spinning, and then he grabbed a tree, bent over, and threw up. After he had finished, he turned back toward Harrison again, wiping his mouth, stumbled over, and took hold of the older Ranger's arm. "Harrison… We have to keep moving."

The older Ranger nodded, then pulled himself to his feet. His eyes were sad. "We can't just leave him here."

Will nodded. "Of course not. Do you want me to carry him?"

"No, no, I will." He bent down and lifted Trevor's body, then started jogging off across the hill.

Will shook himself out of his stupor and started jogging after the stumbling form of Harrison. They ran for a long time, it could have been hours, it could have been minutes, Will didn't remember. His exhaustion and sadness settled him into a daze as his feet rose and fell with a steady thud thud thud. His jog at some point turned into a heavy limp as his adrenaline wore off and his knee started hurting again. But he knew he couldn't stop, and eventually the pain faded. Sometime later, when the moon had long past reached the top of the sky, they crested a hill, the trees having thinned to almost nothing, and spotted the tiny village in the distance. It was tiny, and missing on any map of Araluen. It had no residents, and it was so deep into the forest that almost no one knew it even existed, and those who saw it assumed it was a ghost town. But all Rangers knew better. It was an emergency shelter set up by the Ranger Corps for any sort of situation that threatened them as a whole… Just like what had happened that night. All the Rangers who had run off into the trees should have started running towards this spot. Will had stayed a long time at the clearing to fight off the last of the Temujai, so he should be the last one arriving with Harrison, so long as nothing had gone wrong. As they drew closer to the small, low, and nearly invisible cluster of buildings, there were no lights on. But Will knew that they would be there still. They stumbled past the buildings heading for the smallest one in the back. It was small enough it could be a shed. But when Will opened the door, past the shelves of old, cobweb-smothered trowels and jugs, was a clear spot on the floor, where the dust had been cleared away by Ranger boots. Will reached down and pulled on the small handle, lifting the platform of wood to reveal a set of roughly hewn stairs that lead down into the dark. Will held it open as Harrison carried Trevor down into the darkness without hesitation. Will scanned the small shack one last time, making sure all the doors had been shut again to remove all evidence of their presence, and then crawled into the darkness of the staircase.

hey! I know it's short, I'll post the next section right away. Thanks so much for reading and supporting me! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought about this section and the next one. If you want to truly follow me with my live updates, go check out my Wattpad under the same user name, that's where I am actually updating live. So yeah, thanks so much for reading! I'll post these next sections quickly to catch all of you up with my other followers on Wattpad! ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Or'kam peered out over the wreckage of the Gathering site. Tables had been flipped over, benches were wrecked. The camp fires had spread out, burning large black marks into the flattened grass, which was cruelly trampled and uprooted by the boots of Rangers and Temujai alike. A haze of smoke wafted over the whole scene, and the pungent odor of burned grass and blood made his nose twitch. Or'kam bent down and knelt next to the body of one of his men. He was lying face down, and had a brutal stab wound in the upper part of his spine. He lost all feeling instantly, died immediately, thought Or'kam. Better off than most here. He rose and surveyed the land again, this time focusing on the bodies. There were at least fifteen Temujai lying dead in pools of their own blood, arrow and stab wounds dominating most of them. There were a few small splashes of red scattered around with no body next to them. So at least some of the Atabi are wounded, probably a few dead. One particularly distinct pool of blood lay in the center of three dead Temujai, but the blood was obviously not from any of them. That's a lot of blood, too much to survive very long. One can be confirmed dead.

"Commander! Shan!" At'lan, his second-in-command, shook him out of his thoughts.

Or'kam stood slowly, turning his head slightly to look at At'lan. "What is it?"

The corporal shifted uncomfortably, preparing to deliver some bad news, and Or'kam had to hold back a smile. "We - uh, we scoured the surrounding countryside, up to a two kilometer radius, and we didn't find any remaining Atabi… Not even bodies."

Or'kam nodded slightly as he digested the words, showing no emotion on his face. They must have taken their dead and wounded with them. We should go out and search a larger section of the countryside, raid the towns nearest. Then we will find where these cowards are hiding. He spoke suddenly, saying, "Prepare the men to leave in an hour."

At'lan jumped visibly, then tried to regain his composure, stammering, "Yes - yes sir, but where are we going?"

Or'kam turned slowly, his face still devoid of emotion. But now his eyes burned with the passion of the chase they were about to embark on, and At'lan was truly afraid. His voice was soft was he spoke, but it was all the more menacing because of it. "I'll tell you what we are going to do. We are going to find the Atabi. And when we find them, we are going to kill every single one of them."

Will jogged down the pitch black tunnel, breathing in the pungent smell of dirt and stone. He ran his hand across the wall, feeling the cool, moist dirt against his fingers. As cold as Trevor's hands are. Will shivered in the darkness, although it wasn't particularly cold. You have to keep going. Don't stop to think. Will shook his head a little to clear the foggy haze of sadness and exhaustion that had settled across his vision, and he pushed on. They jogged for another short few seconds, and then Will noticed that he could now see Harrison's black hair in front of him. Light.

Will started slowing down, and Harrison turned briefly. "What is it, Will?"

"You go on ahead. I'm just going to stop for a moment and double check to make certain we aren't being followed," Will whispered softly. Harrison nodded, turned, and jogged lightly off down the tunnel, the light becoming brighter with each step. Will stopped in the darkness, and reached over his shoulder, grabbing an arrow and placing it on the string. He took a few silent steps back the way they had come, but there was no one. He started to turn back towards where Harrison had gone, but a slight scratching sound stopped him. He froze in place, his eyes flicking back and forth frantically in the pitch black, trying to see something, anything. But it was impossible to focus without light, and so Will stood there, frozen, terrified, as the scratching increased in volume second by second. What if it's a Tem'uj? What if it's the whole lot of them? I can't bloody fight them if I can't see them. Will moved silently and backed himself up against the wall, his eyes blinking and straining to see who or what was coming. The sound was extraordinarily loud by now… Or maybe that was his own heartbeat. Will was having difficulty differentiating between the two unbearably loud sounds by now, it was a miracle it couldn't hear his heart by now, even over all the ruckus it was making. The sound was very close now, the thing could have practically been on top of him, or at least right next to him. But nothing moved in the darkness, and Will felt his muscles clench. Then he felt something along the wall, right next to his boot. Will's gut screamed for him to run, to shoot, to do something, but he forced his instincts back, and he managed to remain completely silent and completely frozen. The thing moved along the wall, making the scratchy clicky sound. Now that it was close, the scratching sounded more like labored breathing, and the breathes turned into feral grunts. The hell is this thing? In one smooth movement, Will turned, drew, and fired his arrow at the thing. It let out deafening, blood-curdling screech that practically blew out Will's eardrums. Even after the scream had died, it echoed slightly down the tunnel. Will stood there, a fresh arrow already notched, ready to shoot again. But the screech never came back, and all was silent again.

Will must have stood there, his arrow aimed at the floor, for several minutes, before he realized he was shaking from fear and adrenaline. Enough's enough. It has to be dead by now. He released his arrow, cautiously, silently putting it back in his quiver. The he slowly reached into his belt, digging around blindly for his flintstones. He grabbed a loose twig from the ground, and snapped the stones together a few times before a spark sprung to life. He quickly brandished the twig, and it caught on fire, producing a small but substantial light. Will froze as the light gently illuminated the small part of the tunnel, looking for any movement, but there was none. Then he slowly brought the light down a little farther, and he saw what had snuck up on him, sucking in a thin breath at the horrific sight. It was a badger, and a rabid one. It was quite large, the size of a dog at least, and it's fangs were bared in a permanent foamy snarl. It's eyes had clouded over and it's legs and jaw were still spasming eerily. His arrow had struck it in the neck, severing an artery, killing it within seconds. It's fur was matted with dirt, it's own saliva, and pint after pint of its own blood. A gurgling sound was emitted from it's throat as it dragged in it's final breaths. Will shivered at the sight of the body. He turned away abruptly, blew out the little fire on the twig, and made his way back down the hallway.

The light became brighter and brighter as he went, and soon it was so bright he could see clearly again. Then he turned a sharp corner, and all at once he was at the threshold of a large underground room. It was surprisingly expansive, at least the size of a large bedroom at Castle Redmont, but not so big as to fit a good fifty Rangers with room to spare. Rangers sat on the floor, along the walls, in large bunches and groups. A few were up and walking around, distributing spare medical supplies, food, and water, and few others were standing near the exit on the other side and at the entrance where Will was, standing guard. There were a few small lanterns that had been lit and set at even intervals around the room, creating enough light to see but not much more than that.

As soon as Will stepped through the threshold, no matter how quietly, all eyes in the room locked onto him. All at once there was a soft but hearty exclamation of "Will! So glad to see you made it!" and "What took you so long?" and "Where's Halt and Crowley?" Will nodded and tried to smile as several Rangers waved to him, and most acknowledged him with a relieved nod and greeting. Gilan ran up to him, dropping the package of bandages he had been helping to distribute and threw his arms around Will, saying, "My god, Will, I thought you were gone." Will wrapped his arms around Gilan, replying, "Sorry about that... I got delayed."

Gilan released him and stepped back, folding his arms and shrugging skeptically. "Delayed? Delayed? You came hours after most of us! The hell happened?"

Hours? It can't have been that long. "Really? I must have only been an hour or two after…"

"More like three. The first man, Henry, arrived here three hours ago. Most of the rest of us got there within the next half hour. A few delayed stragglers came in an hour after, and it's been two since." Gilan leaned in discreetly. "I think most of them out there thought you, Halt, and Crowley had all been killed or captured."

Will's eyebrow rose. "I'll have you know that all three of us got out just fine, in fact, Halt and Crowley got out within the first few minutes when the fight broke out. I stayed behind to draw attention and get more of us out."

Now Gilan's brows soared. "Halt got out that soon? Then where is he?"

Will shifted his stance. He's gone off to fight them alone, that's where he bloody is. And he wouldn't let me come with him. "He's… He's off somewhere with Crowley. I'm not sure where. We can talk more about this in a few minutes."

Gilan leaned in, a worried look on his face. "Oh, alright. But you're certain they're both not hurt?"

"Yes, they were fine when they left, and that's the last I saw of them." Will noticed he was holding his ribs. "Are you alright?"

Gilan shrugged, and then winced. "I'm doing alright, although I think one of them broke my ribs. It hurts to even breath right now."

Will winced. "Ouch."

Gilan grinned. "It's not so bad. How about yourself?"

Will sighed. "Just a few cuts and some good bruises, but other than that I'm fine."

Gilan sighed and stepped back running a hand through his hair. "That's some good news…" He trailed off, and then said mildly, "Will, I'm just being curious, but… Are you bleeding? And if so, where?"

Will looked down at himself, there were small smears of blood all over this front, and his hands were a reddish-brown color, still covered in Trevor's blood. He spoke haltingly, "No… No, I'm not bleeding. This isn't… My blood."

Gilan froze as he connected the dots. Will could see his brain working furiously, and then it clicked and great sadness filled his eyes as he looked back at Will. "Will.. Did you escape with Harrison?"

Will was silent for a moment, and then said dully, "Harrison… And Trevor. Yes."

Gilan's eyes were locked on his, and they were full of deep sadness. They both stood in silence for sometime, before Gilan murmured, "They're… I mean, he's… Right over here, if you'd… Like to see him. Them." His voice faltered as he struggled to word the phrase.

Will nodded, and started off in the direction Gilan pointed. As he turned away, he heard Gilan ask softly, "Will… Are you certain you're alright?"

Will stopped, but didn't turn around. Am I alright? Really? I mean, I'm not hurt, I'm not bleeding, I'm not… Dead. But am I alright?

I don't know.

Will didn't answer Gilan, he simply started walking again, heading towards Harrison.

I don't know.


	9. Chapter 9

A dull murmur of soft voices filled the room as the Rangers chatted quietly amongst themselves. Will made his way through the bunches of Rangers, and some called out more greetings to him. Berrigan rose and came over to Will. "Will, I see you finally made it. What happened?"

Will smiled wanly at him, avoiding the question. "I made it… In mostly one piece."

He raised an eyebrow. "Mostly?" Will's eyes drifted over to the form of Harrison, who was kneeling over something on the floor. Berrigan followed his eyes to where he was looking, and he sucked in a faint breath as he realized what had happened. He glanced back over at Will. "I think I'll… Come back later, alright?" He turned briskly and walked off through the people. Will watched him go. Then he stepped over a few more men, and stood next to the kneeling form of Harrison.

Trevor's body had been laid gently on the floor on top of some blankets that were stashed down in the room. His skin had gone from pink to a sickening pale color and his eyes were glazed over and cloudy. His arms and legs lay at strange, unnatural angles, and the blood around the shaft had dried and separated. Harrison just sat, silently staring at the lifeless body that was his apprentice. Will lowered his head, but couldn't hold back the dry heave that shook his whole body for a moment. But his stomach was already empty, so there was nothing to throw up. After Will's stomach had settled, he crouched next to Harrison, and gently touched Trevor's cold hand. It was clammy and dry… Not unlike the walls of the tunnel. Will snatched slightly as he frantically let go of the hand, and it dropped unceremoniously back on the blanket. He glanced nervously at Harrison, afraid he had seen him drop the hand and be offended, but he hadn't even twitched. Will waited another moment, regaining what was left of his composure, then hesitantly reached out and touched Harrison's uninjured shoulder. "Harrison? It's me, Will."

Harrison never took his eyes off Trevor, but said dully, "Hey, Will… "

Will squeezed his shoulder. "Come on, get up. You can't sit there all night."

Harrison didn't answer. He just stared at Trevor. Will waited for several minutes, and then decided enough was enough. He leaned closer to Harrison.

"Harrison… I want you to listen to me very carefully." Harrison didn't look at him, but he nodded his head slightly in Will's direction. Will pushed on. "Listen… You need to hear this."

Harrison still didn't look at him, but he mumbled, "What is it?"

Will sighed slightly. "Harrison… That's not Trevor. Do you hear me? What you're looking at… That's not the Trevor you remember." Harrison blinked a few times. "That body in front of you is not the Trevor you want to remember. That's just a body. Nothing else. True, Trevor used to be in that body, but now he's not. And staring at it isn't going to bring him back or make anything better." Harrison shifted positions. "The Trevor that you want to remember isn't in that body anymore, he's in here," and Will touched his sternum where his heart was, "and here," he said softly as he touched his temple. The haze was clearing from Harrison's eyes. "So, right now, you are going to come with me, and we are going to debrief the others, clean ourselves up, re bandage your shoulder, and get some food and water. The body will be wrapped up and put somewhere safe for now, and you are not going to sit next to it staring at it as if that's going to bring him back." Will paused and realized that the whole room had gone quiet, listening to him talk. Trying to hide his flushed face, he turned and waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to keep talking. They did, grudgingly, and the buzz of talking filled the room again.

Harrison glanced up at Will, his bloodshot eyes clear now. They were still terribly sad, but he had a new light of determination in them. "I… Alright." He took one last long glance at Trevor's body, before repeating to himself, "Alright."

He stood stiffly, and he and Will made their way silently over to a small group where Gilan and. few other Rangers was sitting. Will paused for a moment, stopping by the tunnel entrance. Harrison noticed and started to turn, but Will waved him on, saying, "It's alright, you go on."

Harrison met Will's eyes, and they both shared a sad, exhausted smile.

As Will began to turn away, Harrison spoke softly, so only he could hear. "Thank you."

Will raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For… For saving my life." Harrison held out a hand, and Will took it and shook firmly.

"I know you would do the same for me. I just wish… I could have saved one more." Will had to fight to keep his voice from cracking.

Harrison let go of his hand and put it on his shoulder. "Will… I know you blame yourself, but I want you to know that I don't think either of us could have done anything to save him. We both did everything right… I guess it was just his time."

Will stared at him, his mouth slightly open, his face slack. "I know… I just need a minute. To think, that's all."

Harrison sighed. "Alright. Just.. Don't go thinking too hard. We need you out here, as clear headed as you can be. Because I am sure as hell not." Then he nodded, clapped Will on the back, left and sat down next to Gilan.

Will watched him go, his vision blurry and strange. He took a few uneasy steps into the mouth of the tunnel, continuing until he was shielded by shadow. Then he stopped and leaned heavily against the wall, his hands shaking violently.

What's happening to me?

His palms were sweating, his hands were shaking. His vision was blotchy and blurry, and he felt his heart pounding through every vein and artery in his body. Blood rushed across his eyes, and everything went red. He was very dizzy suddenly and he clutched the wall to keep from falling. After a long moment, the blood stopped rushing and his heartbeat slowed a little. He put his palms on his cloak to dry them, when he felt a long hard object in the pocket of his jerkin. He pulled it out with slightly shaking hands. It was the small piece of his mandola that he had picked up during the battle. It was jagged and torn on the edges, but the smooth wood polish was still there. The piece was soft and smooth, just as he remembered playing it, running his hands over the velvet wood. The mandola had been a Gilet, a beautiful and expensive instrument given to him by Lord Orman when he had saved Mackindaw from the Scotti. It had been with him through many an adventure, and he was suddenly struck by how sad he was to have completely lost all but this small piece of it. He ran his thumb across the honey colored wood and sighed. Then he noticed that he wasn't so dizzy any more. He stood warily, and seeing that he was back to normal, left the tunnel entrance, carefully stowing the small shard of wood back in his jerkin, right in his breast pocket over his heart… Right next to a letter Alyss had sent him a long, long time ago in Seacliff after the Mackindaw invasion. She didn't know that he had carried it him most every mission since they had gotten together. That letter had brought him happiness all those years ago, and every time he read it again, it made him remember her.

Will inconspicuously shook his head a few times to clear his thoughts as he made his way over to where Gilan, Harrison, and a few other Rangers were chatting quietly. They all looked up as he came and nodded in greeting, and Gilan stood up to meet him. He was gazing at Harrison's face warily, searching for any signs of emotion. But Harrison had shut down, and his face was a mask of stone. He was staring at the floor of the room in complete silence, not chatting with the others. But although he tried, he couldn't hide the deep sadness in his eyes, and Gilan glanced at Will. He seemed to analyze Will's face in the same manner, before saying, "How are you both doing?"

Will glanced at Harrison, and said, "I think.. We're both ready to do something about these blasted Temujai."

Gilan noticed that they both avoided the question, but didn't press them. "I think everyone else in this room is, too. So, I was thinking perhaps you and Harrison should fill us in on exactly what happened, and we'll all exchange a few important things to happen just to make certain we are all on the same page. Does that sound alright?"

Harrison nodded. "Sounds like a good place to start." He turned on his heel and strolled off towards another group of Rangers a few feet away. Gilan and Will made their way up to the largest corner of the room, and the room fell silent almost immediately. All eyes turned expectantly on the two young Rangers.

Gilan spoke first. "Let me first say it's a great relief to see a lot of us here unharmed. We were pretty lucky to not have more fatalities. But we don't have time for congratulations, on to the business at hand." He cleared his throat and spoke firmly now. "By now, you all have probably figured out that the Temujai attacked our Gathering just a few hours ago. First thing we're all going to do is count off by number to check who made it and who did not."

The room was silent for a long moment. Will spoke up. "Crowley and Halt aren't here. Let's just skip one and two and start with three." And so they all counted off. The counting went smoothly from three all the way until thirty. The room was silent for a moment, before one of the oldest Rangers in the Corps spoke up, Lionel. "Jonathan's thirty. He was shot in the first few seconds. Never even had a chance. Saw it myself." The room was dead silent as they all mourned his loss.

The Gilan nodded to the next Ranger, and they continued counting off, until they hit Harrison. "Thirty-nine, but my apprentice was shot. He died just an hour ago." The room was silent again as another loss was mourned.

Then they counted off the last few numbers, and Will finished off with "Fifty."

"So… Two deaths. We all miss Jonathan and Trevor, but it could have been a lot worse." The room nodded silently, their faces grave and tired. Gilan pushed on. "Now, before we move on, we need to get a count of the severely wounded. How many do we have?"

A good number raised their hands, at least five, Harrison being one of them. Some had broken bones, others sported deep gashes in various places, and still others had concussions. Gilan was another that raised his hand, and he winced as the movement made his broken ribs twinge.

"And last but not least, what about minor injuries? This included cuts, bruises, sprains and strains, that sort of thing?" Gilan asked. Now most of the rest of the room raised their hand, Will included. Most Rangers in the room sported a small cut or bruise on their face or arms. Gilan nodded as he counted everyone. "It seems we're all a little beat up, to say the least. Will, why don't you take over from here." He nodded to Will.

Will stepped forward, and began speaking. He filled them all in on where Halt and Crowley had disappeared off to, and what he had said to him. When he finished, the room was quiet as the Rangers all absorbed what he had said.

Preston, a Ranger from Merrick Fief, spoke up first. "So, let me get this straight. Halt left you before the fight even barely started… to go off on some hair-brained scheme about finding these blasted Temujai, and he left us all to clean up the mess?"

Will nodded, but said, "Unfortunately, it's not quite as simple as that. He never told me explicitly, but I think he wasn't necessarily surprised when he found out it was the Temujai attacking us. He must have had some sort of inkling as to what their purpose was to showing up here, of all places."

"So after that, he told you to go back to Araluen? He wants us all to go to our nation's capital with a bloodthirsty tribe on our tail to meet up with our King?"

"In so many words… Yes, suppose that's it, in a nutshell."

Another Ranger spoke up, Henry. "And what about outside that nutshell? We have to fight this tribe off while we try to get all our wounded back across a few fiefs, and in the process be as inconspicuous as possible?"

Gilan said, "I know it sounds strange, but it's a good idea - "

"A good idea?" That was Preston again. "If anyone in any of the surrounding villages or fiefs realizes that we've all just been attacked, the robbers and murders will take advantage of our weakness. They'll practically take over the fiefs! Some of the Barons around here are hopeless without our help!"

"I know that full well, which is why I have a plan to travel in smaller groups in disguise. Then we won't be as easily recognized."

A low murmur spread across the group as the Rangers argued amongst themselves. The volume started to get louder and louder as the exhausted men's tempers flared and broke, giving way to shouting and yelling. Will's eyes widened in dismay as he realized what was happening. "Everyone… QUIET!"

All at once, the shouting stopped, and everyone turned to look at Will.

You're the only one I can trust to lead them all.

I know you can do it… Without me.

"I know the plan is unorthodox… And it certainly doesn't have a lot of hope. But it's better than every alternative. We can't stay here, but we can't go anywhere else. And we are going to need everyone here to help get all the wounded back safely. Now, if anyone has any other ideas that are better, please, say them now. Because I, and everyone else, I'm sure, would be delighted to hear another option." Will glanced around the room, his eyes narrowed, meeting every Ranger's eyes. But no one spoke up, and the room was completely silent. No one even moved.

"No one?"

Nothing. No sound, no movement. Just dead silence.

"Then I guess it's decided. Are we all clear on what we have to do now?"

Then men nodded.

"Then let's get to it."


	10. Chapter 10

Halt stared into the little camp fire, his eyes glassy.

After he and Crowley had left the fight, they had run for hours through the trees toward the coast. Four hours later, they had finally stopped running and found a discreet and shielded area to camp for the night. Now, behind a large wall of rock and surrounded by a dense grove of oak trees, he and Crowley had lit a small fire that they deemed necessary for warmth, but they kept it as small as possible to keep the visibility down. There was no moon tonight, so sky was black enough that the smoke wasn't visible. They sat silently staring into the flames, their faces lit up an eerie orange in the dim light. Neither had spoken any more than was absolutely necessary, and neither wanted to break the awkward, anxious stillness that had settled. But Halt dragged his eyes up out of the fire and cleared his throat softly. "Crowley… I'm sorry I didn't explain anything before we… Left."

Crowley glanced up. "I suppose I've grown to trust your instincts. But I am a little lost as to why we left everyone else back there to fight off the Temujai while we went running off into the forest," he shouted, suddenly angry, and clenched his fists at his side.

Halt winced slightly at the anger of his friend, and spoke hurriedly to explain before things got out of hand. "I know it seems bad Crowley, and it is. I wish we could have done something else - "

"We could have, but we didn't! Why did you have to drag me out of there? One glance at Will, one nod, and we take off running with no explanation while a full blown ambush takes place behind us! The hell were you thinking?" His eyes were glittering with fury, the kind of anger that comes after a stressful situation. It was common in soldiers who had nearly lost their life. Halt had seen it many times before after terrible battles, and no matter how weathered a veteran, Crowley was not an exception.

Halt tried to explain again. "I was thinking - "

"Do you know how many could have been hurt, Halt? How many could have died?" Crowley leaned in, seething. His face was red and his knuckles were white. Halt leaned back. His anger has escalated from an immediate battle reaction to uncontrollable emotional tidal wave. He had only seen his friend this angry a few times in all the years he had known him, and even then, this was one of the angriest. "With the amount of Temujai that attacked, there's no way they got out of there without casualties. In fact, for all we know, they could all be dead!" His spit was flying through the air. "Will could be dead! Gilan could be dead! Anyone of them could be lying in a puddle of their own blood, while we just ran!" He abruptly stood, walking away and then coming back, pacing furiously, his fists clenching and unclenching. After a few moments of silent fuming, he stopped and turned, calmer. "In all my years, I don't think I've ever seen you run from a fight. And I know for certain that you wouldn't just abandon the Corps, or Will, for that matter, in a mess like that without a damn good reason." He took a deep breath, and then sat back down in front of Halt, rubbing his hands near the fire to keep warm. The anger still burned in his eyes, but he was calmer now.

Halt let a few moments of silence go by, in an effort to give Crowley a moment to get himself together. He finally spoke softly, placatingly, "If you would calm down for a moment, you would remember that I never do anything without a 'damn good reason'." Crowley glanced up, some of the anger fading. "And I'll tell you all about my 'damn good reason' if you would just give me a chance."

Crowley sighed, then nodded.

Halt took a deep breath, and began. "I suppose I'll start from the beginning. You will recall that I spent a short period of time living in a large village on the Eastern Steppes just a few months after becoming a Ranger."

"Yes, of course I remember, I was the one who authorized that mission." Crowley nodded.

Halt continued. "During my time spent, I made certain to create a small but extremely trustworthy circle of friends from various villages and of different ranks. This was to try initiate an intelligence source so that even after I left, I still received letters from them occasionally, filling me in on the things the Temujai were doing with their economy and, most importantly, their military. These days, I have one especially close friend that sends me a summary letter about once or twice a year at most, just listing the things they were doing or planning to do. Most of the time these letters contain nothing of interest, and I file them away for possible use later. I've been doing this for at least a decade now."

"So that's all well and good, but if you've been receiving letters from the Temujai all this time, why didn't you know they were attacking Skandia a few years ago?" Crowley asked.

Halt shrugged. "True, I would have normally expected to receive some sort of news regarding that. Unfortunately the letter they sent that year was sent months before any of that happened, and their plans were only listed as being in the beginning stages. I simply ignored it. After all, it wasn't uncommon for them to try to plan some raid or attack, and never even come close to carrying it out. But after I returned to Araluen, I checked my file, and sure enough, there was a notice for warning that they were thinking of attacking a nearby country. But no one within my contact pool had any idea it could have been developed and executed well enough to threaten Skandia, and, by extension, Araluen."

Crowley was nodding. "I see. So basically, you received a letter a few months ago, and it warned you about… all this."

Halt nodded solemnly. "Yes. Just about four months ago, I received my annual letter. But this time it was urgently written, describing the erratic nature of the Sha'shan's son."

"I'm familiar with the fact that the Sha'shan is the leader of the Temujai, but what does that mean, exactly, in terms of what he controls?"

"Think of him like general, but he commands the whole country as well as just the army. His son recently came of age and joined the country's military. He is supposedly very bitter and angry about what happened to his father a few years ago when Will and I helped the Skandians stop them. Ever since, this boy has hated Rangers with 'a bitter and flaming passion', as was quoted in the letter, for ruining his father's career and the future of the tribe as whole."

Crowley sighed sadly. "Sounds like a very troubled and angry young man."

Halt sighed, too. "That he is. The letter described a scene that one of them observed. His son barged in on a meeting, demanding to speak with his father. He told him that they were planning to go and attack Araluen to find the Corps, and kill us. His father, being a somewhat sensible man, completely rejected him, and so his son screamed at him, ignored his orders, and escaped the fort. He hasn't been seen since, but his father knows that he went to go and get his small but substantial group of fanatics who follow him. According to letter, they should have had plenty of time by now to get themselves over to Araluen."

Crowley leaned back and shook his head. "So you're telling me that this crazy kid decided he needed to get revenge for his father by coming to Araluen and killing all the Rangers?"

Halt nodded, his lips pursed.

Crowley huffed. "Not a terribly smart kid, is he? Attacking us in our own country?"

Halt gave a faint smile. "True, but he did know to attack us all while we together in one place, which was not actually a bad idea. Which means he's angry, reckless, but has plan. That makes for a very dangerous boy."

Crowley nodded.

"Now, the reason why I dragged us both away from the fight was so that we wouldn't be seen by any of the Temujai. A Ranger, or someone very close to the Corps, had to have tipped them off on our Gathering location. Only a few select people, besides us fifty, know that exact location and how to get there, much less how to avoid all fifty Rangers as they arrive and plan an ambush on us all that no one manages to see coming. We escaped so that we can find out who tipped them off, and so that when we track them through the countryside, they won't have seen us at the fight and instantly recognize us. Not that they'll be seeing much of us as we follow them, but we needed to take the precaution."

"Do you think a Ranger tipped them off?"

Halt swallowed slightly as he saw a faint light of fear, and hint of mistrust in his old friend's eyes. He cleared his throat before speaking. "No, I don't. And that's because I know every one of these Rangers and their mentors. And I know that none of them would betray the Corps like that. And besides, if someone was sharing information about us, one of us would have noticed and said something. We're all too damn good not to notice and do something about it."

Crowley was nodding. "Which also brings up the fact that we haven't had a dirty Ranger in the Corps since Morgarath's time. I think we can trust them."

Halt nodded. "That's a fact." He trailed off as the whoo whoo whoo of an owl cut through the crickets, bringing him back to the reality of the dark, cold trees surrounding him and the small, crackling fire that brought a small measure of comfort to their bleak state.

Crowley leaned back and sat in silence for a long time, thinking deeply about what Halt had said. After a while, he asked softly, "Why did you leave Will behind?"

Halt raised both eyebrows, startled by the question. "What? What about Will?"

"Why would you leave him behind? Wouldn't you want to take him with you?"

"Normally I would…"

"Oh, come on, Halt, out with it. You and I both know that I am not a strong, spry man anymore. I'm slowing down, and I know it." At this outburst, Halt raised an eyebrow at him. But Crowley just rolled his eyes and kept going. "And we also both know that Will is one of the best shots in the Corps, probably second only to yours. And you always take him on missions with you, always."

"Crowley - "

"Now, don't think I'm putting myself down here. I can still move as silently as I want, silent enough to scare my own Rangers, and write up and report to the King better than you and Will combined. And I pride myself in these abilities." He ignored Halt's snort at this statement. "But I'm just curious as to why you left him there, and I know there has to be a specific reason. So out with it."

Halt swallowed, silent for a moment, all humor and sarcasm gone. Then he started softly, "I was trying to prepare him."

"For what?"

"For when I'm gone for good."

Crowley stared at him for a moment, and then laughed. "Halt… You do realize Will is a grown man. An accomplished Ranger. He had his own fief for a few years, he's done multiple missions with and without you, and he's got himself a wife and house. You wouldn't believe how many requests I get from various Barons asking for him to be reassigned to their fief. His personal résumé matches yours, and he's barely in his thirties. So I think I speak for everyone when I say, he can handle himself."

Halt sighed. "Don't you think I know all that? … I suppose it's bit complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it for me." Crowley leaned back, ready to listen.

"There's… Not really much to tell. I suppose…" Halt struggled to start. What do I say? That I left him behind so that he can figure out how to deal without me? "I suppose… Well, in the past, whenever the Rangers acted as a unit, you or I were always there to take the lead and command the group as a whole."

"Yes, but that hasn't happened since Morgarath."

"But it could happen again at any time. After telling Will that I'm going to retire, I thought that he should get a chance to command the Corps as a whole. I also knew that whoever took up that job would have to get some fifty Rangers plus who knows how many dead and wounded across several fiefs to Castle Araluen, all while hiding from and holding off pursuing Temujai."

Crowley raised his eyebrows at this blatant list of all the problems Will was currently facing, and Halt nodded in agreement. It sounds impossible when I say it like that. "Now, I'm not certain how many Rangers could handle a tough job like that, but I know for certain Will can. So I left him there, in charge, to get news to the King and the wounded to safety, while we go and figure who is responsible for this mess and what we can do to stop it." Halt sat back, exhausted from talking so much.

Crowley nodded after a few moments. "That makes sense, I suppose."

Halt didn't answer, and instead said softly, "Was that a damn good enough reason?"

Crowley gazed at him critically across the flames. The irrational panic and anger was gone, now only a sadness remained. "I don't know if any reason is damn good enough to abandon them all like that… But I suppose it'll have to do for now. Like I said before, it makes sense…"

Halt raised his eyebrows as Crowley trailed off for a moment. "But?"

"But that doesn't mean I have to be alright with it."

Halt didn't have anything to say to that, so he kept quiet. That's true… I'm not alright with it either. Wonder how Will's doing… His thoughts went to his former apprentice, somewhere off in the forest, planning with whomever had escaped. I hope he's alright. I hope they're all alright. What did I get them all into… No. Halt shook his head to rid himself of the doubt that was beginning to seep into his mind. I made the choice, and I carried it out. It's done, and there's nothing I can do to change it now. So stop worrying about it, and focus on what you have to do.

Halt blinked a few times to clear his head as Crowley stood stiffly, then wrapped his cloak around him tightly, and walked over a spot a few paces from the fire. "You alright with taking first watch?" Halt nodded, and Crowley stretched out on the ground, his back to him. And Halt found himself deep in the same thoughts as he gazed into the orange flames.


	11. Chapter 11

_Halt opened his eyes._

 _The sky was starting to dim over the trees, which were smothered in white. White? Oh, it was snow. It was caked along the branches, piled next to trunks, and smoothed in huge drifts along the ridge. He picked his way over a frozen river, bubbles frozen into the slick black ice under Abelard's hooves. It was snowing heavily, but there was no wind, so it fell peacefully and thickly, like the usual overcast clouds had decided to come down and visit. A mute silence settled over everything, only the occasional gentle creaking of the trees broke it. He fingered Abelard's reins between his gloved thumbs, then dropped them, directing with his knees. He breathed in the cold crisp air and felt the light breeze on his face. Abelard's hoof beats made muted thump thump thump sound on the snow covered ground, and Halt closed his eyes again as he allowed himself to settle down in the chilly silence._

 _A child's laughter rang through the trees._

 _It was brief, and faint, but definitely there. Halt squinted through the white haze, blinking as thick, fat snowflakes clung to his lashes. Halt felt his hand go to the hilt of his saxe as Abelard turned a corner on the little path and came upon a rather strange sight. A small figure was kneeling in the snow just about fifty meters away. As Halt rounded the bend, the little child turned its head to see who was coming. It was a young boy, not much more than a baby, maybe two or three. He had light skin and thick brown curls of hair on his head, and his eyes were large and dark. They sparkled with innocence and joy of being young, and one of his tiny, fisty hands was squeezing a handful of fresh powder between his fingers. His little mouth was open in an 'O' of surprise, and he knelt, frozen, in the snow._

 _Halt had stopped moving, and he moved to get off Abelard when he heard the little boy say something._

Ranger

 _The boy's tiny lips formed the word, and it escaped in a visible breath through the air. It was soft, but just loud enough for Halt to catch it. He nodded, smiling at the little one. The boy stood up on his stubby little legs, a few inches shorter than Halt's hip._

 _Halt walked slowly over to the young boy, who watched him warily. Halt came within a few feet, and knelt down to the boy's height. "Hello there, young sir. What are you doing out here all alone?"_

 _The boy still didn't smile, but his lips twitched. "Just playing."_

 _Halt raised an eyebrow, but smiled gently. "Just playing? All by yourself?"_

 _"With my friend." Then the boy's face broke into a wide smile, his dark, brooding eyes lit up, and his little teeth flashed white. It hit Halt all at once, but the smile confirmed it. Those eyes, that smile, even the laugh, though it was young, he could recognize it anywhere by now._

 _"Will?..." Halt trailed off as the little boy suddenly turned, looking off into the trees to his left, and another little voice called from a little ways away._

 _"Hey, where'd you go?" This voice was more high pitched, and was followed by an unmistakable giggle. This had to be a young girl._

 _"Coming,'Lyss!"_

 _The boy turned back to Halt, and by now, he was certain that this had to be Will. His smile was so achingly familiar from all the years he had spent with him, from the moment he had first seen him as a baby till just the other day when Will had smiled at him. "Will? Is that you?"_

 _But the boy's smile just grew wider, his eyes sparkling in the way that only Will's could. "I'll see you again, right?" His voice was so cheerful and light, so…_ Will

 _Halt felt his throat starting to close up, and he cleared it, croaking out, "Wait, Will…"_

 _But the boy turned and ran off in the direction of the girl, laughing and calling out to her. He soon disappeared into the trees, and suddenly everything was eerily silent again. Halt stood alone in the forest, staring at the footprints left in the snow by the tiny little boots of the boy._

 _Without any warning, all the snow around him melted before his very eyes, changing from white fluff to clear liquid that just as soon sunk into the now green grass, and fresh saplings and greenery rose from the soil in seconds. Trees collapsed silently and fell to the ground, instantly blooming with moss, the wood rotting and collapsing until old logs covered in years of moss remained. Years of change in the forest compressed down to mere silent moments before Halt's very eyes._

 _Halt blinked a few times as the sun moved backwards in the sky, settling itself in the early afternoon so that new, yellow light came down through the new green leaves._

 _"So how big is it supposed to be?"_

 _The voice startled Halt, and he whirled around to see Will. Now he was older, around fifteen. His Ranger uniform was just a little too big around his small frame, but he would soon grow into it, Halt knew. That same sparkle and smile remained. Halt stuttered, "Uh… Weren't you just here? How old are you?"_

 _But Will just smiled. "Of course I was just here. I never left. And since when do you not know how old I am?" Halt could only blink at this. Will just laughed. "Now, how big is it?"_

 _Halt shook his head a little. "How big is.. What?"_

 _Will rolled his eyes as if Halt should have known. "The boar. How big is it?"_

 _Halt glanced left and right, scanning the dappled brush for any signs of movement. "A boar?"_

 _Will laughed again, still rolling his eyes. "Yes, Halt, a boar." He flipped the flap in his cloak over the reveal a quiver._

 _Halt squinted at Will. "...What day is it?"_

 _Will now squinted at him, raising an eyebrow. "What's the matter with you? Now come on, I guess I'll have to find out just how big this one is myself." He turned away, his recurve bow unslung and a few arrows ready. Halt followed uncertainly. They walked for just a few moments when Will suddenly whispered, "I think it's close. We'd better split up." Without waiting for a reply, he turned sharply and disappeared behind a bush._

 _"Wait, Will - " Halt hissed as he dashed after him, shoving the branches aside. But there was no sign of his apprentice, just leaves, forest, and light. Halt squinted as he tried to sense any movement, but all was still._

 _All at once, a flurry of thundering hooves and a startled cry from Will echoed through the trees. Halt jumped, shouting, "Will! Where are you?" He sprinted in a mad dash through the trees. He came upon a clearing, and saw Will kneeling on the ground, his saxe held out in front of him like a spear, with a massive boar charging at him headlong. Halt couldn't stop to think, he slung his bow off, notched an arrow, drew, aimed, and shot in a breath. The arrow flickered through the air and plunged into the boar's side with a meaty smack. The great beast groaned and fell, dead before impact. Then he ran to Will, ripping the saxe out his small, shaking hands, and pulling the boy's trembling body to his own in a hug. He felt Will's breaths heave as he cried, and Halt held him tighter._

 _Just as Will seemed to calm down, he disappeared, and Halt was left with his arms wrapped around nothing. He felt his heartbeat in his eardrums, and he tried to go for his weapons, but they were gone too._

 _All at once the dead boar in front of him melted away, and he was left standing on the shore, staring after the boat as it peeled away from the dock, heading out to sea. "Halt!" A breath of cry reached his pounding ears, but the Skandians had already pulled away, and he could do nothing but watch as he was taken away._

 _Now Will was at the bridge with Evanlyn, shooting at the Skandians as they came closer and closer. Evanlyn was sawing at the ropes, having thrown her flint and steel aside. The beams were on fire, the tar igniting quickly, and the Skandians ducked into cover as Will managed to stick one of them in the arm. But one of the larger ones stood, hefting a rock, and threw it at Will. Just as the rock was about to hit him, it all melted away again._

 _Now Halt squinted as the Arridi desert rose up around him, the sun beating him down onto the rust colored soil. He took a few steps forward and stopped. There lay Will, flat on his back, his eyes squeezed shut, unmoving. His skin was blistered and burned, and his horse was dead beside him. Vultures were swooping down, picking at the fresh carcass. "Will!" Halt tried to shout, the word was crushed, obliterated by the heat. He started running toward him, and it all froze. The world turned black._

 _"Halt, you have to… Save me." Halt whirled around and saw Will lying on his cloak, his arm bandaged heavily. He was sweaty and pale, trembling with weakness. His eyes were bloodshot as he repeated, "Save me."_

 _Halt nodded, turning again to find Malcolm. He was bending over a pack, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Halt, but there are two types of poisons, and I need to know which one."_

 _"I can.. Go get Bacari…"_

 _But Malcolm just shook his head. "Halt… Bacari's dead. I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done to save Will."_

 _"No… No there has to be something. Something…" Halt staggered toward where Will was lying, but another figure was bending over his prone body._

 _"I'll never be dead," Bacari hissed, smiling, and raised his knife to stab Will._

 _"No!" Halt shouted, and he threw himself under the knife. The blade glimmered beautifully as it plunged downward, and Halt closed his eyes, bracing for the end._

Halt! Wake up!"

 _"No… Will.."_

"Halt! You're dreaming, wake up!"

Halt opened his eyes. His vision blurred for a minute, and he was finally able to focus on the face of Crowley bending over him, his eyebrows furrowed with worry. "Finally, you woke up. The hell were you dreaming about?"

Halt rose to his elbows, blinking. "I… It was nothing."

"Sure wasn't nothing. You were rolling around on the ground, muttering and talking. What about Will?"

Halt ran his hand through his hair sitting up fully. "It was nothing. Just dreaming, is all," he said more confidently.

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "What about Will?" he repeated.

Halt sighed. _I can't tell him all the details. He'll think I'm crazy._ "I'm just… Worried about him, I suppose."

Crowley was nodding. "Me too. I'm worried about all of them."

 _Worried enough to dream up something like that? I don't think so._ Halt tried to change the subject. "What time is it?"

"Breakfast. I was thinking we should head out pretty soon, if that's alright with you. We need to get the horses and find these Temujai before it gets dark if Will's going to have any chance. Unless… You want to sleep some more?"

Halt pushed himself to his feet. "No, I'm fine. Let's get going."

They kicked dust over their fire and set out.


	12. Chapter 12

"Where do you think they are?"

"They know to scatter. It's in their training."

"Scatter, sure. But how far did they spread out? What if it's too far?"

"They won't have. They're too smart for that. We just need to call them, I think."

"I know, but how do we manage to get them all to come without a stampede?"

"Why do you think I would know that? I think it's all our first time having to use Gathering emergency protocols." Will felt Gilan's lips against his ear as he whispered into it, making almost no sound. They were crouching in the trees a few hundred meters outside the tiny village that was the Ranger's temporary shelter. It was still the middle of the night, only four hours after the attack. But Will figured the longer they waited in the shelter, the higher the chance of them being found. So they had decided to get everyone going.

"Then I guess we'll just have to improvise." Will started to stand, but Gilan grabbed his arm, dragging him back down.

"Wait! What if the Temujai are out there? They'll hear you!"

Will shrugged at him. "Well, we don't have much of a choice, do we? What's another whistle among all these birds and bugs anyway?" Then he stood quickly, before Gilan could stop him, putting his fingers in his mouth, and he let out a brief, piercing whistle. The high-pitched sound echoed through the moonlit trees on all sides, for what felt to Will like an eternity. He froze, knowing that no one could see him, but praying all the same. Gilan crouched down at the base of the tree, unmoving, his eyes shut tight. _Probably praying as hard as I am that some Temujai didn't just hear that and start tracking us. Praying that it's anything but that._ Nothing moved in the trees, only a few squirrels and owls running and flitting about. The cicadas were especially loud tonight. _Bugs. You don't have a choice but to love them sometimes._

After a long moment of silence passed, Gilan whispered, "I think we're clear. You see anything?"

Will moved his eyes only, scanning as far as he could in all directions to see any sign of anyone or anything. There was nothing, but he couldn't be certain in the darkness. _Better not tell him that though._ "No, we're clear. But all the same, we should stay low."

Gilan stood silently, leaning up against the tree next to Will. He rolled his eyes at him. "Yes, after making such an obvious and noticeable noise as that, we most definitely should stay low."

Will shrugged at him. They both started moving out farther into the trees, ghosting through the dim underbrush, making no sound. They walked for just a few minutes before the first sign of movement was spotted through the trees. Will and Gilan immediately threw themselves to the ground, rolling behind the trunk of a large tree. _Crunch crunch crunch._ Something large was moving through the trees, heading straight for them. Both men held their breaths as the thing came up right behind the tree - _crunch crunch thud_. It stopped moving. Will glanced at Gilan, and mouthed, _Ready_? Gilan's brow furrowed, and he started to shake his head, his eyes widening as he realized what Will intended to do. But Will ignored him, and in one smooth movement, he stood, drew his saxe, and slipped around the base of the tree. The blade, glinting in the light of the moon, went out in front of him, and he leapt out into the opening, brandishing the blade.

But it was only Tug.

He stood, head bent over, gnawing at the patch of grass around the base of the tree, his barrel-chested body completely relaxed and calm. When Will popped out from behind the tree, his knife ready, Tug only raised his head slowly, giving Will a very distinct and familiar look. If horses could raise an eyebrow, this was what it looked like. _What do you think you're doing with that?_

Will lowered the knife immediately, dropping it back into the scabbard. Tug seemed to be completely unharmed, not even dirty. All of Will's saddle bags were still attached, even his food supply, luckily. The only things missing were his tent and his bed roll, which was probably still spread out at his campsite at the Gathering. _Well, I can always get another blanket._ "Tug!" He stepped forward and hugged the little horse, wrapping his arms around his neck.

Tug bobbed his head in response. _You can always get another blanket, true. But you can't get another me. I'm unique._

Will raised an eyebrow. _And what's that supposed to mean?_

 _You should be proud to have such a capable horse as myself. And you didn't need to whistle that loud, I was right near here the whole time._

Will rolled his eyes at him. _I am proud to have you. And next time, if you don't want me to whistle that loud, you should come a bit faster._

Tug butted his head against Will hands. _I did come fast. Why is it that every time I'm not with you, you get yourself into trouble?_

 _That's not true and you know it._

 _Oh, I think it is. Do you want me to give you some examples?_

 _No_. Will ran a hand through his mane. _Why should I be proud of you?_

 _Because I got all the others out. They're all hiding in the trees just a little ways off._

Will pulled his hand out his mane and looked into Tug's dark eyes. _You did?_

 _Of course. Be proud of me. Now let's get going._ Tug nudged Will's legs, then stood still, encouraging Will to mount him.

Will turned away briefly to check for Gilan. He stood a few meters away, rubbing the neck of his long legged mare, Blaze, leaning into her mane. He glanced up, meeting Will's eyes in the darkness. Will whispered, "The rest of the horses are nearby. We can call them by name now when we need them." Gilan nodded, and they both swung up into their saddles. They moved quietly through the dim forest back towards the village.

Will and Gilan snuck back through the forest and through the tiny town. They put their horses into the stable, then went ducking behind buildings and shacks, finally making their way through the tiny door in the shed, down through the tunnel, and back into the underground room. The Rangers were all standing now, divided up into smaller groups for travel. Will was leading the first with the biggest group of Rangers, including Berrigan, Harrison, Clark, Preston, Henry, Lionel, and Leander. Harrison and Lionel both demanded that Trevor and Jonathan's bodies come with their group, but Will and Gilan didn't think they could handle two bodies plus one wounded, Harrison. So Will put Jonathan with the secondary group led by Gilan, who was working with a smaller group. Will's group consisted of eight total plus one body, and the remaining Rangers had split into smaller groups of five to six each, all traveling separately in disguise. They were all planning to meet in Araluen in two days, the time it should take for a group of their size to get there.

Will stood next to the wall, checking that he had everything. He patted all the pockets in his belt pouches, feeling for his medical kit, strikers, and other survival necessities. He ran his hand up his chest, feeling the other concealed pockets. His fingers struck something hard in his upper breast pocket, and he slipped his fingers in, and pulled out the wood shard of his mandola. He rubbed the smooth wood between his fingers, the velvet finish so touchable under the pads of his pointer and thumb finger.

 _Don't lose hope._

Trevor's last words to him. _Don't lose hope? I know he meant well, but in the current situation there's really not much hope whatsoever. It's a bit hard to come by when Halt is gone, and I have to get everyone to safety without losing any more of them, which is basically impossible with the number of Temujai out there. I don't even understand how anything, much less a little hope, can help now._

Then Halt's words came back to him unbidden. _I know you can do it… Without me._ Will leaned back against the dirt wall of the room and slid down till he sat on the ground fingering the shard, his brows furrowed. _At least someone has faith in me. And he's not even here._

 _How the hell am I supposed to do this._ It wasn't a question, it was statement.

He ran his hand inside the pocket again, and pulled out the thin sheet of paper, a little crumpled from being inside the pocket for so long. It was the letter from Alyss. He opened it and ran his hand across his wife's handwriting, touching the words I love you over and over again. _I love you, too, Alyss. If only I were at home with you, and not in this mess. But I'll have hope, for you. For you and for Halt._

"Will? …Are you alright?" Gilan was walking over, and he looked worried. _Now he's going to ask me what's wrong. And I can't very well tell him that._ Will shoved the letter into his pocket hurriedly and heaved himself up, but winced as his knee ached. He lost his balance as pain shot up his leg, and he sagged against the wall briefly, biting the inside of his cheek and scrunching up his face. Gilan rushed up and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, helping him stand up. "Will! What's wrong?"

Will grimaced as he finally stood up straight, and leaned against the wall, flexing his knee as the pain faded. "Nothing, just my knee. Still isn't better yet, I guess."

Gilan raised an eyebrow. "After a night of running and fighting, I'm surprised it hasn't gotten worse. Are you sure you'll be alright in the lead group? If you want, we can switch you out - "

But Will shook his head hurriedly. "No, I'm fine, don't worry. It's not that bad."

Gilan had been leaning against the wall next to him, but now he stood and moved around to face him, blocking out their conversation to make it more private. His face became solemn as he whispered, "Will, aside from your knee… Are you really alright? I guess I'm just wondering if you wanted to… Talk about anything, that's all."

Will forced his face to get deadpan, removing all emotion from it. _I could tell you what's going inside my head, but that would take too much time and would probably make you question my sanity._ "...We don't have enough time. We need to get out of here, now."

He started to go, but Gilan took hold of his shoulder. "Oh, come on, Will. Just ten minutes could do you a lot of good. I know you're trying to hide it, but I can see all those things that are bothering you. They're just there, in your eyes." He stepped in a little closer, looking deeply into Will's face. "I saw you with the letter and the piece of wood. Now I don't know what those are or what they mean, but I know you wouldn't keep something like that close to you if they didn't mean something important." He reached up and patted Will's breast pocket, feeling the hard shard and crumpled paper underneath. "Will… Don't let past regrets seep into what's coming. It's dangerous for all of us, but most of all for you." He leaned back again, relaxing. Will stayed frozen solid, leaning against the wall stiffly. "Sometimes the best thing to do is to just put it all behind you, at least, for a little while." He started to walk away. "I think we're all ready to go. I'll wait for your command." Then he was gone weaving in and out of groups of Rangers. No one else seemed to have noticed the intense exchange. Will was left standing by the wall, in complete stunned silence.

"Will, you ready?"

Will shoved himself away from the wall, shaking his head a little clear his thoughts as Berrigan came over and clapped a hand on his shoulder. He hesitated as he saw Will's expression. "Whoa, I just interrupted some deep thoughts there. I'll come back - "

"No, no it's fine." Will conjured up what he hoped was a smile, but judging from Berrigan's expression, it was a sorry attempt. "I'm ready to go. We should all get going."

"Good." Berrigan thankfully ignored Will's sour mood and turned, holding up a hand. Slowly the room grew quiet as the men stopped talking and turned to listen to Will and Berrigan. Berrigan spoke first. "I hope you're all ready, because it's time to go. All I have to say to you lads is good luck, follow the plan, and stay alive. I'll see you all in Araluen in two days time."

Then Will stepped forward. "Everyone in the first group, we'll meet at the edge of the camp in a few minutes. As Berrigan said, good luck everyone. None of you are allowed to die." The room laughed darkly at this ironic statement, before falling into silence again as Will and Berrigan turned and disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel.


	13. Chapter 13

Will left the tunnel with Berrigan and moved silently through the the tiny town, reaching the stable. He ducked inside to find Tug and Berrigan's horse, Blake, already standing there. He saddled Tug up, checking his girth. Berrigan followed close behind and did the same with Blake. Will nodded to him, then ducked out of the stable with Tug following behind, and they both ran silently for the edge of the trees around the village. As soon as they were both fully hunkered down in the brush, they waited, silent and unmoving, scanning the forest for any sign of movement. Berrigan came up and hid nearby, and after about twenty minutes, all seven other Rangers plus Harrison's horse, whom Trevor's body had been tied securely to, we're all hiding nearby. There had been no movement, no sounds to alert Will or the others that something could have seen them. So Will stood from his place nestled deep in the brush and mounted Tug. Berrigan moved with him, mounting Blake. The other Rangers stayed down. They were to travel in twos, spread out over a few hundred yards, to make a less dense and noticeable target. They would meet up every few hours to make certain everyone was still with them, and they all knew to call out if they were attacked. And so they were off, Will and Berrigan in the lead, following a tiny, untravelled path through the dense trees, heading toward Araluen fief.

It must have been a few hours later, when the sun had risen partially. A calm glow had settled over the landscape, and the birds were active, tweeting and humming and singing in the cool, crisp air. Will and Berrigan had long since lost their paranoia to the monotony of the road ahead and now rode in a more relaxed fashion. The had covered an impressive amount of ground in a short period of time due to their fear of being found, making it nearly half of the way to Araluen. They were now in a smaller, less well-known fief between Araluen and Redmont, next to Gorlan. They halted their horses in the early morning light on the banks of a wide, slow-moving river and dismounted stiffy. Berrigan sat down on a log next to the river, rubbing the stump of his leg around the piece of wood he had attached to use for walking.

Will noticed, and smiled at him. "I always wondered if that bothered you. Your peg leg. I remember the first time I met you, and I was too embarrassed and shy to ask you about it."

Berrigan smiled back. "Most everyone I meet is like that. They're always too afraid I'll be offended to say anything about it, but they just end up staring really awkwardly at it, and I find that to be even worse than just asking."

Will laughed. "Well, I'll be sure to file that away. Next time I have a question about your leg, I'll just ask it and spare you the awkward staring."

"Agreed!" He pulled out his water bottle and drank deeply from it. Will went down to the river, jumping down to the lower bank, and dipped the bottle in, filling it with the cold, clear water.

Berrigan was still sitting on the log. His leg was aching from the stress of the previous night, so he pulled off his boot and undid the leather straps that held his peg leg on. The well polished length of wood fell off onto the ground, and he sighed with relief as he rubbed the stump, feeling the ache go away.

Will stood up, closing up the bottle in his hand and climbed back up the bank. He clipped it back onto his saddle bags and he moved over to sit next to Berrigan on the log.

He stopped massaging his leg and looked at Will, suddenly serious. "Will, I know these last few hours have been really tough for you, and I don't want to pry, but I know sometimes talking about these things really do help. I'm a good listener, and I wouldn't tell another soul. So I'll ask you this only once, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to. How are you doing? _Really_?"

Will, who had been looking at Berrigan, suddenly lowered his eyes and looked at his hands, picking at his fingernails. _What do I say? He said he wouldn't tell anyone… But do I really want to share this?_

 _He said it would help. So did Gilan._ "I'm.. Doing alright."

Berrigan leaned forward. "I think we both know that's not even slightly true. If you're going to tell me anything it might as well be the truth, or else none of this is going to help you in any way."

Will looked up at him, and felt all of his barriers go down. He suddenly felt the full weight of the sadness, regret, and helplessness he had been feeling. _Remember what Gilan said._ He spoke softly, his voice raw, "In all honesty…. I'm not doing too well."

Berrigan only rolled his eyes. "Not doing too well _indeed._ Now that we've finally got the blindingly obvious out of the way, we can get to the crux of the matter. What's bothering you?"

Will looked down again, slightly dizzy with the wave of emotions. "I…" _Be truthful. He only wants to help._ "I guess… I really wish I could have saved him."

"Trevor?"

Will nodded. "And another thing's been bothering me lately, well, only since yesterday, but still." He looked up worriedly, wondering if Halt had told anyone else.

But Berrigan only nodded. "You're upset about Halt's retirement?"

Will nodded, then raised an eyebrow. "How did you know? I didn't think Halt had told most people yet." _Does everyone else know?_

Berrigan grinned. "Well, I'm not most people. I may be retired, Will, but that doesn't mean I don't actually _do_ things. I'm not that old, you know. But I am a senior Ranger, so when Crowley found out, he told me and a few select others."

Will nodded glumly. "Seems like I was the last to find out. Lucky me." _Lucky, lucky me._

"Actually…" Berrigan said. "Halt didn't want to tell you right away because he was worried you would react like… Well, like this."

"Well, see - " Will sighed, frustrated. Then it all came flooding out. "See, I'm not actually upset that he's retiring. I think it's a really good thing, he's been working for so long and he's done so much, he deserves more time with Pauline, more time to just relax. I'm not upset about his retirement at all in fact, I even told him so when he told me. But what about me? I mean, how will I handle it when he's gone? I'm worried…"

Berrigan asked softly, "Worried about what?"

Will closed his eyes. "I'm worried… That people will expect too much of me, that I won't be able to do all the amazing things he's done, and that I'll let everyone down."

Berrigan sighed and pursed his lips. He opened his mouth as if about to answer, and then he froze. But he didn't need to explain himself, because Will froze as well. They had both heard it at the same time, a tiny sound, almost unrecognizable, but it was there.

The crunch of dead leaves under a boot.

They both knew that the rest of their groups shouldn't be meeting up for another hour, so this couldn't be any of them. But there was definitely someone in the woods nearby. Their horses were tucked in a grove of trees, and they knew to stay silent and unmoving. Will glanced at Berrigan, and they both flipped up their cowls in one smooth motion, they both moved silently from the log to the trunk of a nearby tree. But Will noticed that Berrigan was struggling to stand, and then he realized what had happened. His peg leg was still off, and he had stuffed it inside his boot. He picked it up and tucked it under his arm, and crawled on his hands and knees behind the tree. Will pulled him the rest of the way and they both froze, listening again for any irregular sounds.

 _Crunch._

Another misplaced footstep by someone trying to move quietly. _A Ranger would never make that mistake. But a Tem'uj might._ Berrigan tugged at his pants leg, and Will leaned down very slightly to see him. Berrigan pointed off towards the trees far the river bank, and mouthed, _They're in there._ Will nodded and crouched down on the roots of the tree, his cloak blending in with the bushes in front of him. He held Berrigan's boot for him as the older Ranger struggled to quickly reattach the leg. But there were a lot of straps, and Will could tell it was going to take time. Berrigan reached out and tried to take the boot from him, but Will wasn't expecting it. He pulled Will off balance, and he stumbled on the tree roots, sending him crashing to the slick mud. The dry leaves and smooth, wet ground meant that Will could gain no traction, and he rolled down the small hill and over the river bank, hitting the flat ground with a muted _thud_ next to the river. He quickly crawled back into the curves of mud and rock under the river bank, which jutted out over the sliver of beach at river level. He nestled himself deep into the rock and mud, praying that it would be enough cover. _Please don't let them have heard that. Please just keep moving, whoever you are._ Suddenly a flurry of leaves cascaded over the bank, blown into the water by the wind, and Berrigan came crashing down in front of him, wrapped up in his cloak. Will grabbed his arm, dragging him under the bank next to him, shoving him deep under a large flat of plants. Berrigan huddled under it, clutching his boot and peg leg. Will stared him with wide eyes. _What happened? Are they up there?_

 _No,_ he mouthed. _But they're close._

They both waited in silence, and just mere moments after Berrigan had settled, the sounds of boots on the slick mud became easily discernible as they came closer and closer to the bank. Will and Berrigan froze, wedged under the curve of the rock and flat of grass. Then gravel, leaves, and dirt rained down on them, most blowing into the river, but the rest fell onto Will and Berrigan. But neither of them moved. The footsteps stopped right over their heads. Berrigan glanced at Will and flicked his fingers at him. _Four men,_ he was saying. Will nodded slightly. He had guessed as much.

Soon they could hear voices, speaking in the Common tongue. "Do think that was them?" That was a man with a thin, high pitched tone. _Probably not very experienced,_ Will thought.

"I can't be certain. It was probably just an animal coming to drink. And besides, I don't see them anywhere." _This is a more experienced man, perhaps a soldier._

"We must keep looking." _That's the leader,_ Will thought. His voice was soft, but utterly commanding, and he had a certain presence to him that Will could feel even from down there. _Lucky us, we were just having a lovely chat in the forest, relaxing and resting, and we managed to attract the leader of the Temujai. He's probably a Shan. Lucky us._

Berrigan was looking at him, and Will met his eyes. He pointed to his brow and then toward the upper bank. _Can you get a visual?_

Will moved his hand from side to side. _Maybe. I'll try._ He turned his head upward slowly, just enough to look at the bank under his brow.

Sure enough, four men stood looking out over the river. All of them wore brown leather armor and had large recurve bows slung across their backs, and long curved sabers strapped to their belts. The skinniest one looked the most uncomfortable, his armor didn't fit quite right, and must have been inexperienced. The other two looked like soldiers, but the one in the middle had two sabers attached to his belt and had a muscle build different from the rest, more defined and warrior-like. _That's definitely the leader._ He had a band on his sleeve, brightly colored, which seemed to show his rank. Three stars plus a saber were his insignia, and the armband was red colored. _A deputy commander. Halt will want to know about that later… If I ever see him again. If this plan manages to work. If I can stay alive long enough to tell him._

"We must go. If they were here, they've moved on. We should move faster to catch them." The leader turned and moved out of Will's sight, and the others turned to follow.

But one of the spoke again, the skinny one, saying, "Wait, Shan Or'kan!" _That must be the leader's name. Or'kan. And he's a Shan like I thought._ "What will we do if we find them?"

" _When_ we find them, we will _kill_ them." Short, brief, and completely deadpan. He sounded so calm, yet that calm seemed to veil a deep fury. All that all that bitterness had settled into an intense rage that burned deep down inside, so hot that it sounded like it had burned out his very soul, blackening it into a sick, dark mass of hatred. _That's one sick, dangerous man._

Will closed his eyes for a moment as he heard their footsteps get farther and farther away. Then they heard the whinny of horses as all four men galloped off in the opposite direction. Then there was silence.

It must have been a solid ten minutes before Will moved, sighing and stretching out his legs, crawling out from under the outcropping and leaning against the bank, panting. Berrigan scooted out from under the grass and sat next to Will. "Well, that was close," Berrigan muttered. Neither of them moved any further, both staring numbly out across the water, marveling at the miracle that they had not been found.

"I can't believe we weren't found." Will laid his head back against the rock.

"I know. The sight of you rolling down the bank like a ball…" And without warning, both men dissolved into fits of impish, uncontrollable laughter. The nerves of the last few hours finally got to them as both men giggled and snickered like little girls. After a few moments, they managed to calm down again, stifling hiccups and smothering fresh laughter.

Will took a deep breath, and then sighed, "I only have one thing to say to you right now."

"And what's that?" Berrigan was still laughing a little. He had started strapping on his peg leg again.

Will smiled at him. "Next time, keep your damn leg on."

Berrigan nodded, deadpan.

"Agreed."


	14. Chapter 14

"Halt… They're not here."

Halt turned around and glared at Crowley. "I do believe I can see that for myself, thanks." They had come into another clearing, completely empty, without any trace that someone had been there recently. Halt and Crowley had been tracking faint paths for hours now, perhaps even half a day, and they had come up with nothing. They hadn't even managed to come across an abandoned campsite. They were running out of options.

Crowley sighed and swung down from Cropper. He paced across the grass, huffing irritably. Halt watched him from atop Abelard. Finally Crowley spoke up. "Halt… What are we going to do if we don't find them in time? If we don't locate them and track them, and start to lead them off away from the other Rangers' path… "

Halt sighed. "I know, Crowley. I'm doing what I can, but you know we haven't found a solid enough set of tracks yet to lead us to them. So far it's only been faint, old ones they probably used a few weeks ago."

Crowley had wandered off over into a thicket of bushes, collecting some dry wood to store up for later. "If we don't find tracks in the next few hours…" He glanced up, anxiety scrunching up the skin around his eyes.

Halt nodded gravely. "I know, Crowley. I'm worried, too."

Crowley nodded, wetting his lips with a dry tongue. He bent back over and started digging around inside the bushes again. Halt swung down from Abelard and took a drink from his water bottle. The water was old and leathery, as they hadn't run across a stream in some hours. He smacked his lips as the foul tasting water slid down his throat. _Better than nothing, I suppose._

"Hey… Halt?" That was Crowley's uncertain voice from the other side of the thicket.

"What?" He called back.

"Speaking of tracks…"

Halt clipped his bottle back on the saddle and walked quickly over to the thicket, shoving through the dense greenery, and he came out the other side, spotting Crowley only a few meters away. "What is it? Have you found something?"

"I'd say it's a lot more than that…"

Halt stood next to him and stared at the ground. His lips parted in a silent 'O'.

It was a set of boot tracks - shaped strangely, not like any Ranger's boot tread, and extremely fresh - not even an hour old. Halt bent down and gently touched the slight imprint into the soft ground. "My God, Crowley… I do believe you just found us our tracks."

"Do you think we'll be able to find them in time?"

Halt paused. "I can't say for certain… "

"Yes, you can." Crowley rolled his eyes.

"Fine." Halt smiled slightly. "I think we might be able to help Will and the others after all."

Will and Berrigan had set out again after the riverbank incident, moving as quickly as they could out through the forest again, eating up the distance to Araluen. A few more hours of fast travel, and they would arrive. "We'll probably make it around late afternoon without any delays," Will said to Berrigan as they slowed to a stop in the cover of a large grove of trees. They had met up with the rest of their group some minutes before, warned them of the nearby Temujai, and then separated again. They weren't scheduled to meet until they were just a few kilometers out from Castle Araluen itself now, and Will and Berrigan were completely alone again.

The two Rangers dismounted and left Tug and Blake behind the trunks of the trees to shield them from sight. They had sat down for a long moment, both of them wallowing in anxious silence. Then Berrigan started to heave himself to his feet. "I think I'll go see if there's a stream nearby. I thought I heard one, and we could both use with a little cleaning, and maybe some fresh water in our flasks."

But Will held out a hand. "No, stay there, I'll go. You should rest your leg while you can."

Berrigan raised an eyebrow. "If there's anyone who should be resting their leg, it's _you._ You haven't forgotten about your knee, have you?

Will rolled his eyes. "My knee is fine, stop making excuses. I just need to get up and do something… To take my mind of things."

Berrigan's eyes softened. "Alright… I suppose I'll let you go, just this once."

Will started to walk away, but then turned back. "Listen, I should only be gone for a few minutes. If I'm not back after fifteen minutes, something happened, and if I'm not back in half an hour, go on without me."

Berrigan's eyes widened. "My god, Will, you're just going out to find water! What could possibly happen I should have to expect that?"

Will shrugged. "Remember the Temujai at the riverbank? Ever since that, I've decided it's just safer to assume that they are close all the time. It forces us to expect the unexpected."

Berrigan's eyes were still wide and a little taken aback. "Alright… But I still don't think I'll leave you behind, even it takes you an hour."

Will called over his shoulder, "Thirty minutes, and you leave. No questions asked." Then, without waiting or watching for his reply, he flipped up his cowl and disappeared into the trees.


	15. Chapter 15

Will ghosted silently through the underbrush, staying well within the cover of trunks and bushes, totally invisible to anyone standing nearby. _Not even Halt could see me at this rate._ Will smiled to himself at the memories of his mentor's cryptic comments as he struggled to move invisibly through the tall grass in the fields outside the little cabin in Redmont. _Is that a bony backside I see sticking up out of the grass by that black rock? I think it is. Perhaps I should put an arrow in it if its owner doesn't GET IT DOWN!_ He remembered the drowned forest ambush with the Genovesians, where he had recalled much the same thing. _Some things never change._

He rounded a bend in the trail he was creating and ducked behind a tree, listening for the sound of water. There was a slight gurgling sound coming from just a few meters away. _A spring,_ Will thought. He started to stand, taking a step forward, and then he froze.

It wasn't even for a plausible reason. His eyes skimmed the forest around him, and he saw nothing. Not even a branch twitched. There was nothing there, and it was obvious. But Will knew better. His stomach had twisted in on itself, like he had swallowed a stone and was trying to digest it. His abdomen clenched, and his arms trembled slightly at the familiar feeling. The back of his scalp, though hidden beneath the cowl, tingled and burned.

 _There's someone nearby._

 _Someone dangerous._

Will flattened himself slowly against the tree, wishing he could just melt right into the trunk. _It can't be Berrigan. He was taking off his leg as I left, and he can't get it back on fast enough. The others are all several kilometers apart from here, so it can't be them either. That leaves only one other possibility._

A Temujai.

Will cowered away, his spine sinking even deeper into the tree, his shoulders pressed hard up against the rough bark, the sticky sap gumming up against his cheek. His breathing was shallow, but silent, and his heartbeats thudded in his eardrums.

 _Crunch._

A misplaced footstep. _Definitely not a Ranger, probably a Temujai. Couldn't be more than one, it's too quiet for even two._ He moved his hand slowly to the hilt of his saxe knife, squeezing his hand against the cool leather grip. _No. If I get a good angle, I can shoot him more easily, with more chance of hitting him._ He released the hilt of the knife and shrugged off his bow, grabbing three arrows at the same time. He notched the arrows, and pulled them back to half draw.

Then he froze again.

Instinct, carefully trained and sensitized by years in the field, was something that marked a good Ranger from an average Ranger. And here was a moment where the best were set apart from the average… And Will's instinct saved his life.

 _He's behind me._

Will moved in one, quick, smooth jerk as he whirled around, coming up from his crouch, and pulling the bowstring to full draw, focusing down the tips of his arrows at…

A figure. Far off, a hundred meters away, hidden carefully by thick bushes, but it was there. The tip of a recurve bow was unmistakeable, sticking up above the shadowy figure, pulled back at full draw. As the light changed, a ray of sunlight fell across his face. It was the Shan, Or'kan, who he had just narrowly avoided a few hours ago at the river bank. The Shan's bright black eyes burned into him, and Will's brow furrowed and his eyes thinned to slits of concentration. Neither man moved, knowing that if one shot, the other would as well.

"It seems… That we are at an impasse, are we not?" His voice was soft, so soft Will could barely hear it. He spoke quietly, but the weight and confidence in his tone was unmistakable. This was definitely a leader, and a powerful and dangerous one.

He spoke in the common tongue, so Will answered in the same language. "We are."

The Shan spoke again, just as softly as before. Will had to strain to hear him, even though the trees around them seemed to have fallen into complete silence, as if they too sensed the tension between the two men.

"I know your kind well enough to know that since you haven't shot me already, you must want to talk to me. Have I assumed correctly?"

 _His language is perfect. He could have only learned the common tongue that well if he was highly educated. This is definitely some high ranking officer's son._ "I wouldn't assume anything, if I were you. Perhaps I want to talk to you, and then shoot you. Or perhaps I don't want to talk at all, and will just shoot you." Will carefully relaxed his grip on the arrows, the string touching the corner of his lips, ready to release.

But the Tem'uj only laughed lightly. It was a deep, humourless laugh, thin and airy, and his eyes flashed dangerously. "Oh, I admire your courage, _atabi,_ but it will do you no good. Now, since we both have managed to disarm each other so effectively, why don't we both lower our bows at the same time, nice and slowly."

Will felt his fingers tightening again and tried to relax them. "And how do I know you won't just shoot me the minute I lower my bow?"

The Sham grinned faintly. "How about this: I put my bow down first, and I swear not to shoot you, so long as you swear on your life you'll put yours down after me. Deal?"

Will sighed. His arms were getting tired of pulling the bowstring so tightly for so long without any release, and his hands were starting to shake. _It's not like holding it any longer will do either of us any good._ "Deal. I swear on my life."

Will struggled to hold his arm steady as the Tem'uj slowly loosened the string until he unnotched his arrow and slipped it back into a quiver at his hip. Then he slowly slung the bow up between his shoulder blades until it was stuck securely. Then he put his hands up to show that he was done, and said, "Now you."

Will grudgingly lowered his bow, replaced his arrows, and slung his bow onto his shoulders as well, putting his hands up. All was quiet again as both men stood, unmoving, staring each other down.

Then the Shan spoke again. "If we are going to have a civilized conversation like the gentlemen we are, then I suppose we might take a few steps closer to one another, what do you think?"

Will arched an eyebrow under his cowl. "How can you know anything about me without knowing me at all? Making assumptions is dangerous in situations such as these, you know."

The Shan nodded slightly, but then smirked. "True, but I was only assuming that we wanted to talk _like_ gentlemen, not that we are both necessarily gentlemen. I don't know about you, but I'm not even close. I've killed a few too many to be considered something like _that."_

 _What? The hell does that even mean?_ Will blinked under his cowl as he struggled to keep his face emotionless. "I think that the number of people you've murdered doesn't decide if you are a gentleman or not, rather it decides the weight of the guilt you live with everyday, wearing you down from someone gentle and empathetic into someone insane and feral."

The Sham raised his eyebrows, showing mild surprise. "I was not expecting such eloquence from the likes of you." He took a few slow steps forward, and Will followed suit. "I had always heard that Rangers were quiet, unspoken, and cowardly, hiding in the trees, killing from afar, and leaving others to clean up the mess they leave behind." They both stopped in the middle of the small clearing, both standing a few meters apart in the short, lush grass underfoot, tree roots snaking through the green, digging into the soles of their boots. The trees loomed down on them, closing them in, blocking out the sunlight so that an artificial dusk was created within the small grove. Through the dim and willowy lights, Will could now clearly see the Tem'uj's face. He had olive toned skin, like the rest of his race, dark, thick hair on his head, and a thin, short beard. His eyes glimmered black, and his skin was ruddy and weathered looking, his muscles toned, like a warrior.

"You should learn to expect the unexpected. Not all Rangers are alike, you will see. We do what must be done in order to keep the peace and protect our country and our King. If something threatens that, then we must take action. Whether that means keeping quiet or speaking out, shooting someone from a tree or fighting them up close, making a mess or cleaning up one, we will do it for the sake of peace and rightness in this world."

The Sham frowned slightly at this, but shook his head and his lips settled back into that little smile again. "You are most certainly unexpected. And your loyalty does you credit. Before I say what I wish to say, may I ask your name, _atabi_?"

 _Atabi. Halt said something about that word way back in Skandia. Must be the Temujai word for Ranger._ "Will."

The Tem'uj raised an eyebrow at this. "You are not… Will Treaty, by any chance?"

Will narrowed his eyes a little. "And why does that matter?"

He smiled. "I think you are Will Treaty. That matters because I know Treaty, well, I know _of_ him. He was the apprentice of Halt, and went on to become as, if not more, famous as his master before him." The Tem'uj took one step closer, but Will held his ground. "His master was the one who beat us back in Skandia all those years ago. His mentor fought mine, and he and I both looked on as they tore a country apart. You see, I was just a child, like Treaty was, watching my father, in all his glory, be torn apart by some _atabi_ strategist and his apprentice from the west. I think you are Will Treaty, and I think you know of what I speak." His face was deadpan now, but his anger boiled in his eyes, the black liquid of his pupils bubbling and steaming with rage. "You, Will Treaty, watched my world shatter as yours was fixed. And then, when you and your master had finished with us, you left us in the middle of a ruined country, with nothing left but to limp home to our small empire and try to pull ourselves together."

He was breathing heavily now, his cheeks burning red with a bright spot of color, his lips pursed and his eyes practically steaming. He glowed with such a deep anger that made Will want to shiver, not with fear, but with horror and pity. _Something terrible happened to this man to make him hate so deeply and wholly. No one sane has anger like this. He must be insane… If not worse._

"My name is Or'kan, son of the Sha'shan, heir to the empire, leader of a rebellion, and sworn enemy of the Ranger Corps. I will tell you now, when we meet again, it will not be so peaceful."

Will spoke softly, taking a few purposeful steps away from the man. "And I am Will Treaty, apprentice to Halt, and keeper of peace. No more, no less. When we meet again, _you_ shall be the one to decide your fate, not me, Halt, my King, your father, or anyone else. _You_ and you _alone_ shall decide whether you live or die, whether you tear your country apart or fix the cracks your father made so long ago." He took a few more steps back, until he was nearly out of the clearing.

The Tem'uj stood his ground, his eyes burning into Will's. "If I am deciding my own fate, then can I not choose to decide another's as well? Like yours?"

Will turned back, glancing at him through his cowl. "I've been a Ranger for a long time. I think by now I've earned the skill and the right to chose my own fate."

"We'll see." Or'kan turned and crunched away into the forest, in the opposite direction, and his footsteps soon faded away to nothing.

The trees above seemed to lean back a little, and the morning sunlight broke through the leaves again, as a relieved silence fell upon the clearing. Will sighed and broke into a silent jog making his way back through the trees to the little camp he and Berrigan had set up. His run morphed steadily into a limp as his knee buckled from the tension and stress of the last few hours. After a few more minutes of running and limping and checking to make certain he wasn't being followed, he burst into the little clearing to find Berrigan sitting on the same log he had left him. He jumped up as Will came running in, and said, "Whoa, Will, slow down! What happened? Where's the water?"

Will turned this way and that, his hands shaking, his knee buckling heavily as the stress of the situation finally hit him. He stuttered, "Uh - the water? Oh - oh, the water, right. We can't worry about that right now, we have to go, we have to go right now!"

Berrigan loaded his pack back onto Blake and swung up into the saddle without asking questions, but as Will swung up onto Tug, he asked, "Why? What happened?"

"I'll tell you on the way. How long was I gone?"

"Only ten minutes."

"T - ten minutes? It felt like hours…" Will rubbed his eyes with his palms to try to calm himself down as they kicked their horses into a brisk trot. "How close to Araluen are we?"

"We'll be there in a couple hours."

 _Or'kan could be there in a couple hours, too. Him and the rest of his pack. We need to hurry._

"Will?" Berrigan said tentatively from behind him. "Are you alright? Will you tell me what happened? You look like… Well, like you've seen a ghost."

Will glanced back at him for a long moment before turning back around again. The he muttered to himself, not really to anyone.

"I suppose I did."


	16. Chapter 16

_Halt was back, back on the very scene he had just left. And it was as if he'd never even gone._

 _The light was just starting to come through the trees in the early morning, and the birds chirped softly. A light mist had settled over everything, but the smoky haze of destruction had thinned only a little. His boot nudged aside a piece of bread, smooshed and dirty, trampled into the ground as he made his way through the destroyed and desolate campsite. Tables and benches were flipped over, broken in half, peppered with arrows stuck fast into the hardwood and gouged with various weapons. Platters of food had been swept off the tables, and were now slopped all over the ground, huge shanks of meat coated in dust, but still eerily warm and fragrant. Wilted greens had been stomped into the ground and pitchers of water and wine had been shattered, the ceramic pieces spread all around. Several platters had been used as shields, with arrows stuck in the wood, some hacked apart by Temujai sabers._

 _But the worst part was the blood._

 _The bodies of several Temujai were still there, abandoned by their own countrymen, lying where they had died in their own pools of blood. Most had multiple stab wounds from knives, and a few even had arrow wounds, stuck fast in their armour and rib cages. Their blood spread around them, shining red halos marking their deaths and sealing their fates. Their skin was waxy and pale, their lips blue tinted as their blood separated, and their eyes had clouded over to a milky white color. Halt gingerly stepped over an arm, splayed at an unnatural angle from the body of a dead Tem'uj. Halt glanced down at his face as he stepped over him, and he grimaced. He looked to be only a boy, with a small, skinny frame and minimal facial hair. Even in death, his eyes were wide and frightened._ He looks like Will, _Halt thought, and then immediately shook the image out of his head._ Don't think like that. It doesn't help anything to worry.

" _Will!" Halt turned slowly, looking for movement among the trees. "Will! Where are you?"_

" _...here…"_

" _Will! I'm coming!"_

 _Halt whirled around frantically at the sound of his apprentice's voice, searching for where it had come from. He stumbled over the arm of the dead Tem'uj in his haste, but ignored it as he saw a hand waving feebly, and he hurried over._

 _It was Will. He lay on the ground, splayed and limp, a saber stuck fast in his chest with blood saturating the ground around him. His head lay back, his eyes shut, but he glanced weakly up as Halt scrambled over to him. His eyes flickered open, revealing the same brown eyes Halt had looked into daily for nearly a decade. A small, wane smile turned the corners of his pale lips upward, and he held out a shaking arm. Halt fell to his knees next to his young apprentice, his hands cradling his head and trying to staunch the steady flow of blood from his chest. "Will, oh god, Will, please, no - "_

" _Halt… Pull yourself together…" Will muttered, waving away Halt's scrambling hands with a weak flick of his fingers._

" _What happened? Look at me."_

 _Will looked up into Halt's eyes, blinking as he struggled to focus, his brown eyes glazing over. "I tried to save… Them… Are they - are they alright - " He gasped for breath and his eyes widened as he tried to sit up, his arms flailing towards two figures lying on the ground a few meters away._

 _Halt held him down, hissing, "No, stay still, I'll check…" He slowly rose up onto one knee and peered over to the two fallen, unmoving figures. It was an older Ranger, his face too slashed and bruised to identify, a saber cut slicing him open from shoulder to hip. He lay silent, still, and unmoving, clearly dead. Next to him lay the mangled body of a young boy in a poorly fitting Ranger's uniform, an arrow stuck in his throat. He had barely even bled, as he had died almost instantly, so he looked as though he could almost still be alive. Halt swallowed hard and turned back to Will, kneeling over him. "Will… They didn't make it."_

 _Will's face fell, and he muttered softly, "I could have saved them…"_

" _No, no, you did all you could. The fact that you're lying here like this… Means you gave your all." Halt squeezed Will's arm._

" _...I suppose I already knew that." He paused for a moment, then looked back up at Halt. "Halt, I know - " he swallowed hard, his hand touching the saber that protruded from his chest, "I know I'm not going to make it."_

 _Halt shook his head, pressing down harder on Will's bloody flesh. "No, you're going to be fine, you'll be alright. We need help! Help!" Halt called out into the forest, but nothing moved. They were alone._

" _Halt, they're all gone. Don't waste your breath... I don't have very much left anyway."_

 _Halt choked back a wave of emotion. "No, Will, please - "_

" _Halt… Listen. I need you to do something for me. First, tell Evanlyn that she already saved me enough, and that she'll be a great queen."_

" _Will, don't talk like that - "_

" _Halt! Please… I don't have much time." Will sucked in a raggedy breath, his voice getting softer and softer. "Tell Horace I love him like a brother, and that he should try to live a little longer than me." By now, Will was whispering, and Halt had to lean down next to his lips to hear him. "Tell Pauline that she was a better mother than one could ever wish for." He coughed, and blood trickled down his cheek. "Tell - tell Alyss that I… that I love her forever and she'll always be in my heart." Halt's eyes welled over, and tears spilled down his cheeks. "And Halt…" Will took one last deep breath, his hand weakly clutching Halt's. "I need you to promise me that you won't mourn me too much. Because I'll always be… With you. In there." His trembling finger poked Halt's chest, right on his sternum, where his heart was. "We'll go on another adventure again. You'll see."_

 _He exhaled, squeezing Halt's hand one last time._

"You'll see."

 _And then he was gone._

 _Halt sat stone still, staring at his eyes, willing them to open. But they didn't._

 _And everything was still._

 _All at once, Will's body shrank down under the torn and bloody Ranger uniform until all but a small lump lay buried under the folds of the cloak. Halt reached out with trembling fingers and pulled aside the layers of cloth. It was the young boy from the snow. His thick brown hair, fisty hands, and long lashes were so similar. His eyes lay open, the achingly familiar sparkle fading, covered by clouds, and it was then that he noticed the saber still stuck in the baby's belly. "Guh-Ahhhhhh-" Halt cried out as he stumbled away from the tiny body in shock, tears still dripping down his face._

 _As he staggered backward, he looked around and realized they were dead. They were all dead. Every one of them. The arm he had stumbled over belonged to the mangled young boy in the ill-fitting uniform, and the body next to him was another Ranger, but this one was Berrigan. Gilan leaned against a tree, his body peppered with several arrows, his bow clenched tightly in his stiff, dead hands. Another moan came from nearby, and Halt turned to see Crowley squinting up at him, impaled by a large lance, sucking in his last few breathes. "Halt, why did you leave?" he gasped. "You left us…"_

" _No, I didn't, I didn't leave, I would never leave you, any of you - "_

" _I'm dying because… You left." Crowley gazed at him through unseeing eyes._

" _But I didn't! I wouldn't - "_

 _Thud._

"Ow…" Sudden pain blocked out everything, his vision flashing and his head pounding. Halts hands flew up as he gripped his head, clenching his teeth as the pain began to subside. He cracked open his eyes and blinked at the sudden light. The sun was still high in the sky, and a little fire was crackling a few meters away. He was staring up at a canopy of trees, and he rolled over a little and felt the hard ground beneath him and the rock under his head.

"The princess has finally awakened from her slumber. A disturbed slumber, but a slumber nonetheless." Crowley sat across the fire on a small log, wiping off his knife with a rag, a mildly amused and entertained expression on his face.

Halt scowled and slowly sat up, still settling back into reality. "What… The hell happened?"

Crowley dropped his knife back into its scabbard before replying, "You were dreaming so violently that you banged your own head against the rock you were sleeping on."

"Oh. I was… Dreaming." It began as a question, and ended as a statement. _Well, that was… Some dream._ "Violent is a good word for it, since I managed to nearly knock myself out in the process."

"Oh, it was violent, alright. You've been thrashing around for a good fifteen minutes now. I tried to wake you as soon as you started, but I couldn't." Crowley stood and walked over to where Halt sat. He took his hand and helped him sit down on another log set across the fire from his own.

Halt stared into the fire, blinking away flashes of Will's dead body still pulsing on his eyelids. "Did I… Talk? Make noises?"

Crowley harrumphed loudly. "You sure did. Said lots of things. You want to tell me what the dream was about this time?"

Halt wrung his hands under his cloak and shook away the last few haunting images and remaining grogginess. "It was nothing… Same as last time mostly. Just…"

"Just what?"

"Maybe a bit more… Potent. If dreams can be potent. I don't know if they are normally, but this one was."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Why?"

Halt sighed. "Let's just say I am in no hurry to remember the details of a dream like that."

"Why?"

Halt glared at him. "It was disturbing."

Crowley was quiet for a long moment. "Oh. Alright." He hesitated awkwardly. "Whenever you want to tell me, go ahead."

"I don't want to."

"You'll tell me eventually, you'll see. Maybe not now, but sometime soon."

"Whatever. What were we doing before I… Took a nap?"

Crowley visibly resigned himself to changing topics and said, "We were following those tracks I found, but we both decided to stop and have a rest, since neither of us slept last night. You took first watch while I slept, and then we switched and you dreamed your crazy dream. Is it all coming back to you now?"

Halt nodded. "Yes, I'm just a little out of it right now. I remember."

"Mmmm, good… So what was Will doing in your dream?"

Halt sat bolt upright at the sudden question. "How did you know? That Will was in my dream?"

Crowley laughed humorlessly. "Let's just say you said his name more than a few times. Loads of times, actually. So, what was up with Will this time?"

Halt started to refuse, but Crowley gave him a look, and he stopped. _What's the harm in telling him? It's not like it can get any worse than that._ "I dreamed that… Will died."

Crowley's expression suddenly became unreadable, some strange mix between confusion, understanding, panic, and pity. "Oh." That was all he said. "Well, I was not expecting that at all… No wonder you were disturbed."

They both sat back in puzzled silence. Then Crowley spoke up again. "Why would you dream something like that? When we left, he was… Very much alive, and doing very well. Why do you think he's dead?"

"I _don't_ think he's dead, I'm just having strange dreams, that's all. And this is the first one he's died in."

"The _first?_ How many have you had? I thought you had only had the one?"

Halt wrung his fingers again. "Maybe… Two or three?"

"But we've only gone through one night, and slept once!"

"I've been daydreaming, too. But those are just short and brief. It's been worse when I'm sleeping. But only… A few times. Two or three."

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "Sure, four or five is more like it. What's bothering you so much to dream like this? Do you want to talk about it - "

" _No,_ I don't want to talk about it. I already told you. I'm done." Halt turned away angrily, clenching his fists and squeezing his eyes shut against the flashes of images from the dream.

"Halt… It's better if you just get it out now. It's obviously something serious that's disturbing you, and it's messing up your whole routine. It's messing up your sleep, for god's sakes, and if you can't escape in sleep, then you can't escape at all. We need to fix this - "

"Crowley, I appreciate it, but right now, talking about it is only going to make it worse, especially after having a dream like _that_. I will tell you about it all later… I promise. Just… Not right now."

Crowley stared long and hard at Halt, and then finally relented. "Fine. But I'll be taking you up on that promise later, got it?"

"Got it. Now, I don't know about you, but we really should get going if we are going to delay these Temujai in time for Will to get the others back safely, what do you think?"

Crowley nodded. "Yes, we should get going." He got up to go saddle up Cropper, and he turned back he did so. Halt stood looking into the fire, pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. When he blinked, his glassy eyes reflected the fire a little too brightly.

 _What's going on with Halt?_

A few hours later, in the midday warmth, when the sun had just rose to its highest point, Halt and Crowley lay flat on the ground on a ridge overlooking a small valley. The sky above them was slightly overcast and brightly lit, and cool breeze whispered softly through the tall grass. Below them, a small herd of Temujai horses stood tethered together and a group of men sat in groups on the ground, talking softly to one another. A few had gotten up and were filling up their water bottles in the nearby stream a few meters away in the middle of the valley. Halt rubbed a few small pebbles between his thumbs as he looked down on the unsuspecting enemy and grinned faintly at Crowley. "We got 'em."

Crowley smiled, glancing sidelong at Halt. The bright light overhead cast his face into almost complete shadow. "Not quite yet. We still have to stop them from getting closer to Araluen. But finding was the first and most important step to achieving that."

Halt blinked at him once. "So… We got 'em."

Crowley's cowl tipped back a little so Halt could see him roll his eyes and nod. "So we did. Now, let's go hear what they have to say for themselves."

The two men slid down off the slope and crept down the ridge, just out of sight, continuing until they had reached the valley level. Then they began to slip silently and slowly through the trees, the dappled light hiding them, keeping themselves apart so as not to be seen, creeping ever closer to the Temujai. From what Halt could see, some sort of decorated officer, not a Shan, but someone of high military rank, was speaking quickly and softly to the others. As they ghosted farther and farther, Halt could pick out a few words from what they were saying. As they drew even closer he began to faintly hear complete sentences. As soon as he could hear just well enough to understand, he subtly signalled Crowley and dropped down smoothly into the tall grass. He kept his face pressed into the grass so as not to be seen by the men sitting across the circle. They spoke in their quick, fluent language, but Halt could remember some of it from the time he had lived with them and did his best to translate for himself.

"...once the water had been refilled, we will keep going."

"Yes, and we must be even more watchful. The Shan happened across one of the Atabi in the woods again early this morning…" Halt froze. _The Shan met a Ranger? Which one? Where? Is the Ranger alright?_ He heard them continuing, and quickly filed away that piece of information.

"...if we do not have anymore delays, we will reach Araluen by late tonight, when the moon is out and over our heads. On our way, it should be easy pickings, since most of the Atabi are wounded. Temujai, are you ready to finally take revenge on those who have shamed us?"

" _Atabi ükhel! Urt amid Shan! Atabi ükhel! Urt amid Shan!..."_

Death to the Atabi. Long live our Leader.

All the Temujai whispered this fatal chant furiously, spittle flying off their lips and grinning with the excitement of vengeance, as if they were some dark cult baying for blood to quench their evil thirst. Halt had to fight to keep his face still as he moved his head ever so slightly to the left, and saw Crowley looking at him from his hiding place about twenty meters away. He gave an almost unintelligible nod. _We've seen enough._ He gestured for Crowley to go back. As soon as he had gone, Halt crawled slowly, silently, invisibly around the circle of men. He was aiming for a large tree stump, where they had all set their water bags to be filled. A lower infantry man had been filling them, but he had just finished and had settled down with his back turned only a few meters away. Halt wriggled up over the roots of the stump and slowly drew his throwing knife. Carefully, precisely, deliberately, he began pricking the bottom on the water bags, only making thin, hairline tears in the thick, rubber material near the stitching at the bottom. The water immediately began to leak out, but only in a tiny, invisible stream. Halt pricked every single water bag, then sheathed his knife and slid back deep into the trees to catch his breath. The Temujai had not stirred. He hadn't been seen. _What they don't know is that they will be running out of water here in less than an hour and not know why._ He slowly inched his way back to the cover of a tree, then stood and moved carefully back up the ridge.

 _The game has begun._


	17. Chapter 17

"Shan… We've run out again."

Or'kan turned toward the terrified young soldier standing before him, clutching his water skin in his shaking hands. "Didn't we just fill them an hour ago?"

The man's hands dug deeper into the bag with bloodless fingers. "We did, Shan, but… They're all empty."

Or'kan turned slowly, bearing down on the soldier. "And how could that be? No one has drunk enough for even one of them to be empty."

The soldier's whole body trembled now. "True, Shan, no one has drunk hardly anything… They are empty, and we have no explanation. I take full responsibility - "

Or'kan reached suddenly and snatched the bag from the man's grip startling him into silence. "If none of us drank any of it, and they were all tightly sealed, then what could have happened for them to all become empty?"

The soldier was quiet until he saw that Or'kan was expecting an answer. "Uh… Tampering?"

Or'kan smiled thinly. "Exactly, soldier. Exactly." He gently felt along on the bottom of the bag, right along the seam, until his finger hit a small ridge. He turned the bag over, and the last few drops of water trickled out of a thin, nearly invisible slit cut cleanly into the bottom of the bag. Or'kan glanced up suddenly. "Check your water skins! Feel along the bottom by the seams! Do all the skins have a cut?" The men quickly checked all their skins, and sure enough, every single one had an identical slit on the bottom. Or'kan threw the ruined skin to the ground, and muttered to At'lan, "Have the men get out their reserve skins from their packs. We will set out very soon."

"Shan! They have been spotted! The Atabi!" A scout came running up through the camp, panting.

"Where? Are they same ones we ran into a few hours ago? The young one and his friend at the camp?"

"No, these two are much older. They have been following us for an hour or so now. I suspect these are the ones who cut our water bags."

Or'kan rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So now the question is, do we follow the two younger ones, or track these new older ones?" Everyone stood around him in silence, unsure of what to say. Finally Or'kan raised his head and threw his shoulders back, remounting his horse with renewed vigor.

Everyone else scrambled hastily up onto their mounts after him. At'lan leaned over and murmured, "Excuse me, Shan, but where are we going? Are we going all the way to capital?"

Or'kan met his eyes, and the dark light of revenge glinted in them. "Those young ones are wounded. They can wait. I think it's high time we paid these two water skin slicers a visit."

Alyss saw the large crowd of people standing inside the courtyard and knew immediately something was very wrong.

She had been filing away some of her reports in Lady Pauline's office when the alert was sounded that someone was approaching the castle. She had heard the rumbling as the drawbridge and portcullis were lowered and raised to let them in, and she went outside onto the balcony passageway to see who had come.

The courtyard was jam packed full. The clump of people, numbering around thirty, was surrounded by one of the elite squads of the Royal Guard. The uniformed men stood in a tight circle, not letting passerby into the center. They stood fiercely in a strict formation, their spears hefted, silently threatening anyone who tried to come near. Villagers, servants, guests, and nobles alike were peering over their heads, trying to see what was happening, but the soldiers, held them back. _Why would they have a heavy armed guard in the middle of Castle Araluen? Isn't this one of the safest places in the whole country?_ Near the center of the group stood a surprisingly large group of men in green-gray cloaks, at least five, maybe more, all with their cowls up, shielding their faces. She couldn't count or recognize them from this distance, but they were all huddled in the center of the circle with their exhausted mounts. Another taller figure, whom she recognized as the King, stood in the middle of the group engaged in what looked like an intense conversation with one of the Rangers. Other soldiers, as well as palace scouts and guards, stood around inside the guarded area. Alyss skimmed the group one last time, and then she saw it. A long, canvas-wrapped bundle about the size of a man was strapped to the back of one of the horses, and she immediately knew what it was: a body.

 _Will,_ she thought. _I have to find Will._

She leapt into action, running across the battlements through the corridor and practically flying down the stairs, shouldering people out of the way. She burst out into the main level of the courtyard and made a beeline for the group, shoving through the massive crowd of spectators. They all huffed and stumbled as she dashed through them, sending some unfortunate ones reeling. She ran up to one of the Royal Guards, saying breathlessly, "I need to get in there, my - my husband - "

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to step back _now."_ The guard held up a hand, barring her way.

"Please, sir, I'm one of the Ranger's wife. I need to see him." She tried to glance up over his shoulder, but he leaned over her.

"Miss, how should I believe you? I'm ordered not to let _anyone_ in, and that includes you, 'Ranger's wife' or not. Now, please, step back and be on your way." He extended an arm and put his hand on her shoulder, gently propelling her away. But she resisted, brushing off his hand and speaking more urgently.

"Please, sir, I swear! Just ask any of the Rangers, they'll most likely know who I am."

The guard raised an eyebrow. " _Most likely?"_

Alyss looked at him pleadingly. The guard pursed his lips, and then finally turned away, whispering something to the guard next to him, as he went inside the group for a moment. He returned shortly after with a cloaking figure walking behind him. It was Berrigan, one of the Rangers Will had worked with during his earlier years at Seacliff. She glanced down inconspicuously at his peg leg, and then up at his face as he spoke.

"Lady Alyss, is that you?" Berrigan asked politely from behind the soldier. She was momentarily puzzled, she had never seen or heard a Ranger act in such a... Cautious, even nervous manner. But she quickly dismissed it as her thoughts flew back to Will.

She nodded. "Ranger, I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting." She held out a hand, and Berrigan shook it. She couldn't help but notice that when she extended her hand, the guards on either side tensed up for a moment.

"I'm Berrigan. Ranger Will's talked about you at the Gatherings sometimes. It is an honor to finally meet you. Sirs, please let her through." Berrigan turned to the soldiers next to them, and the guard gave Alyss one last glance before he turned aside, allowing Alyss to pass through into the enclosed space. Berrigan tried to say something to her, but she shouldered him off and took off running through the small group. She stopped at each Ranger, peering into their faces to see if it was Will, but the first four she checked she didn't recognize. Then she froze.

Two soldiers were leading a horse behind them, and strapped to that horse was the canvas bundle. As the horse walked by her, something moved under the bundle and a hand dropped out of a fold. The skin was pale with light freckles, and there was a special glove on it she recognized from Will's archery equipment, in fact, it was eerily similar to his. The sleeve was the dull green hue, signature of typical Ranger attire.

Alyss watched, pale-faced, as the horse moved slowly by her, the body coming past just inches from her own, and she couldn't help but think, _Is that Will? And if it isn't, then who is it?_

A sudden panic overwhelmed her again, and she shoved past the horse, ducking through the crowd as she searched desperately. She reached the center of the group and saw a Ranger leaning up against a horse, clutching his arm, red blotches of blood smeared across his hands. She leaned in and saw the face of... No, she didn't know him. But as he dragged his bleary eyes up to meet hers, she saw a spark of recognition in them. "Lady Alyss? You're Will's wife, right?"

Alyss nodded emphatically. "Yes, I am, do you know where he is? I need to see him."

The Ranger glanced up after the horse still steadily clopping away with the body on its back, and then back at Alyss. "I - uh..." And then he fainted. He collapsed to the ground, his arm still gushing blood. Two guards broke in and picked him up, giving Alyss strange looks, and then carried him away inside the castle. Alyss felt the little blood left in her face drain away as terrible thoughts raced through her mind. _What if he's dead? What if I never see him again? What if he's not even here? What happened to them? What's going on? Where is he? What if he's dead? What if he's dead..._ These thoughts became a chant as she whirled around frantically, searching for the last Ranger, whom she had seen talking to the King. She turned one more time, then spotted his back in the other side of the group. She shoved her way through the pack, still chanting, _what if he's dead, what if he's dead, what if he's gone, what if he's dead..._

She reached the King, practically slamming herself into his back, twisted around him, and gasped.

" _Will_."

Will stood there. His face was grimy with dirt, sweat, and exhaustion. A series of small cuts were scattered about his face, one on his left jaw, another on his right eyebrow, and one small one along his hairline, as well as a few small bruises. His eyes, which were tired, but determined, widened as they saw Alyss. His jaw dropped open and he stuttered, " _A_ \- _Alyss_? Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at Redmo - " but he never had the chance to finish before Alyss threw herself into his arms. She took deep shaky breaths as she breathed in his all too familiar scent of sweat, earth, and pine. She squeezed his shoulders as hard as she could, trying to remind herself he was really there standing in front of her, hugging her.

"Alyss... I - "

Will tried to say something, his voice light and breathy in her ear. But she squeezed him all the tighter, murmuring hoarsely, "I - I saw the body - "

Will pulled back, his eyes suddenly frantic and worried, but she grabbed his hands and held them to her heart, still trying to convince herself it was all real. "Oh, Alyss, you thought... You thought that was _me_? You thought I was - "

"You're not dead," she whispered as she leaned into him again, and this time he pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair.

"I'm not dead. I'm here and I'm alright."

"You're not dead." She felt her heart finally slowing down, and her breathing relax as she savored Will's warm embrace, one that she had been afraid she would never feel again.

After a long moment, she felt Will inhale to say something, and she leaned back and looked up into his dark brown eyes.

"I know you're upset, and I know you're wondering what happened to me, to… Well, to all of us." He gestured to the bedraggled group of Rangers around him. "And I'm so sorry to have scared you like that, but unfortunately…" He glanced at the King, who pursed his lips sympathetically. "Unfortunately, I can't fill you in right this very minute like I wish I could - "

"Don't worry about it. I can wait. I know there are far more important people who need to know what happened right away, for example, Your Majesty…" She turned and curtsied quickly to the King. "I'm sorry, my lord, for interrupting - "

But the King just smiled gently and put up a hand to stop her. "Don't apologize, Alyss. I completely understand. I know the fear of losing a loved one well." He glanced off over Will's shoulder into the distance for a moment, his eyes clouding over momentarily with memories. Then he seemed to snap back to reality, and continued. "In fact, we were just about to move everyone into the Great Hall and hold a large debrief meeting. You are more than welcome to sit in on that, if you wish to know what's going on."

Alyss smiled at him. "Thank you, my lord, I would like that very much." She turned back to Will, her hand brushing a cut on his jaw, and he winced. She pulled her hand away, but reached down and grabbed his. She felt her face scrunch up with worry, and Will tried to smile at her, but she knew him well. The smile was a lie, an almost pitiful attempt to hide the grief and emotional turmoil in his eyes. The cuts and bruises on his face were in stark contrast to the paleness of his skin. His lips curved into a small, bloodless smile that never reached his eyes, and the deep brown of his irises has darkened into pools of black. She could even swear there was a sheen of tears glittering along his lash line as he looked at her.

Will broke eye contact first, glancing away quickly as the King spoke softly to him from off to the side. "Will, I think maybe pushing the debrief back another ten minutes might be a good idea, don't you think?"

Will smiled again, this time a more relaxed, grateful smile as he recognized the King's attempt to give them a minute to themselves. "Thank you, my lord."

"Yes, thank you," Alyss echoed softly, giving the King a warm smile.

Duncan nodded at them both, then pointed at Will and muttered, "Ten minutes, on the dot. I expect you to lead the debrief, so don't be late."

"Yes, my lord."

The King turned on his heel and walked off through the crowd, followed by a couple of the Royal Guards, and crossed the courtyard to enter the Great Hall. Servant and soldiers were pouring in and out of the double doors, bringing in cots and tables, chairs, platters of food, jugs of water, medical supplies, and all manner of papers and maps. Rangers, soldiers, and other people pushed in from around the ring of Royal Guards, and Will thought, _I have to get out of here._ He took Alyss's hand and pulled her through the crowd, past the Rangers and horses. He tapped on a guard's shoulder, and he was immediately let through. He ignored the sudden cheers and shouts from the crowd at his appearance, and pulling Alyss with him, he plowed through the edge of the crowd and into a secluded hallway near the garden, off to the side of the main courtyard. Some people tried to follow him, but the guards quickly stepped in from of the entrance, sealing it up, and effectively giving Will and Alyss privacy. The floor above created a stone overhang that blocked out the worst of the sunlight. In the garden nearby, birds fluttered about from limb to limb and bees buzzed around the fresh, fragrant blossoms. The sky was cloudless and a soft breeze whooshed through the trees. Alyss would normally have loved to sit outside on days like this, watching the birds, preferably with Will. But the events of the past few days seemed to have shaded the beauty of the day, and everything seemed dull and lusterless. The worm of worry in her mind writhed as she noticed Will's heavy limp as he pulled her along. He was obviously in pain.

Alyss took all this in in a moment, and decided not to comment on it just yet. Instead, she asked, "Will, where are the other Rangers?"

He scratched his head nervously. _He looks so beautiful in this light. I've missed him._ "They're still coming. I lead the first group, so we were the first arrive, but the rest of them are in other groups, coming at whatever pace they can manage… I have no idea if they'll all make it. I left them all out on their own…"

"I'm sure they'll make it. I mean, they're all extremely capable - "

"Most of them are, but lots are injured. There's no telling whether some of them succumbed to their wounds in the last couple days, or were captured or killed by the Temujai - "

Alyss's eyes suddenly widened, and her face went pale. " _Temujai?"_ Her voice was soft and strained. "Will… I know I'm about to hear about everything that happened to you, in _excruciating_ detail, but I need to know… What happened to you all? Just give me the short answer."

Will squeezed her hands and, not meeting her eyes, said quietly, "Well… There really isn't any other way to put this, but…" Now his eyes met hers. "Alyss… The Gathering was attacked."

Her hands trembled. "By the Temujai?"

"Yes." Will fell silent.

 _Oh my god._

It took Alyss a long moment before she was able to speak, and even then, her voice was raspy and soft. "How… How many dead?"

"Two." Will's voice cracked.

 _It's only by sheer luck that you aren't dead._ A terrifying thought struck Alyss. She squeezed Will's hand so tight she thought she might break his fingers. "Where's Halt?"

But Will immediately shook his head. "He's not dead, Alyss. He's not going to arrive later like the others, but… The last time I saw him, two days ago, he was fine." Alyss started to ask him where Halt was again, but Will held up a hand. "He stayed behind to track the Temujai and find out why they attacked us. He snuck away unharmed during the battle with Crowley, and I assume he's been tracking and figuring out what's happening over the last few days."

Alyss pursed her lips. "But he _could_ be dead."

Will shook his head again. "I know Halt. He's the best tracker I know, he wouldn't let himself be caught, at least, not this quickly. He's fine, I know it. So is Crowley. They were quite the team a few years back, you know. They know how to fend for themselves better than the best of us."

Alyss nodded slowly. "That's right. I should trust him." She trailed off momentarily. "So if it wasn't Halt or Crowley… Then who died?"

Will's face went slack, and she recognized the mental shield he had suddenly thrown up. _He's protecting himself from the grief._ He squeezed her hands as he said, "A retired Ranger named Jonathan, and… Trevor."

"Did you… Did you know them?"

Will didn't answer for a long time. Eventually, he said, "I knew Jonathan, I cooked with him. I've learned some of my best recipes from him. And Trevor… I only knew him for a short time. But yes, I knew him."

"Who was he? How old was he?"

Will swallowed hard. "He was… A young apprentice. Barely even fifteen. He was younger than me when I first joined Halt."

 _Fifteen. So young._ "How did you know him?"

"I just met him a few days ago. He really… Really looked up to me. He was so excited and eager to have met me. It was strangely endearing." A small smile, a real, genuine smile curved on his lips for just the breath of a moment, and then it was gone. "He got shot during the battle as I was running to help him. Another Ranger and I carried him for hours as we ran towards our emergency meeting place. He… He died halfway there. We had to… Carry his body the rest of the way."

Will's voice had gone very soft as he described what had happened. By the end Alyss could barely hear him. Or see him. Her eyes blurred as they welled up with tears, but she blinked them away, shutting her eyes to hold them back. _You can't break down. Stay strong for Will. He needs you right now._ "I know this doesn't help you feel any better, but… I'm so sorry, Will. I'm so sorry." She pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping her hands around his shoulders, digging her nails into the warm fabric of his cloak and boring her head in his shirt. When she pulled away, little tear stains were left on the material, but she swiped them away off her cheeks with a flick of her hands. "You know…" she said, "when I first saw you all in the courtyard and I barged in here looking for you, I was passed by a horse carrying a dead body on it. The body was wrapped up, but I could see the hand, it was wearing the same kind of gloves you have. I was so afraid for a moment that it was you. But I know it wasn't."

Will cracked a small smile. "Alyss, we all wear the same gloves. They're Ranger issue. Mine are only a little different because I had the tips of the fingers mine reinforced for shooting. Just because he was wearing those gloves doesn't mean it was me. Here, feel my gloves." She ran her hands along the tips of his gloved fingers and felt the thick, tough pads sewn into the leather of the first three fingers on each hand. "Now you can tell if it's me or not. You know, just in case you ever have to tell a Ranger apart from another by their gloves."

She smiled at him. "I'll never forget it." She fell silent again, thinking hard. "How did they know where to attack you? Isn't the Gathering location a heavily guarded secret?"

Will nodded solemnly. "It's never been written down, and only a handful of people outside of the Corps know where it's held. Not even the King knows," he said, nodding over his shoulder. He leaned in close. "I've been thinking about it, and the only solution I could think of was that someone who knew must have betrayed us and given the location to the Temujai."

Alyss's eyes widened again. "Someone betrayed you? But wouldn't that have to be someone at a very high rank?"

Will nodded. "Yes, or at least someone close by."

Alyss looked into his eyes. "Well… I'm glad you're safe."

Will grinned. "Me, too."

They were quiet again, drinking in each other's presences.

Will spoke first. He sounded hesitant. "I know this seems trivial at the moment, considering everything that's happened, but… How are you doing? Are you well?"

Alyss raised an eyebrow at him. "Of course, I'm fine. What do you mean?"

Will reached out his hand. "I'm glad you're okay, but what I meant was…" His hand gently rested on her stomach. "Are you… _Well_?"

 _Oh. He's asking me if… If I'm…_ "Will, I'm sorry, but… I went to the doctor, every week, like you said. I had him do a full check every time, and he even said that after three weeks he should be able to tell for certain. He said… No."

Will's face fell. "Oh, okay. That's… That's alright."

Alyss took his hand. "Don't give up hope, Will. Remember, the doctor checked us both out, and we're fine. The only reason why it hasn't happened yet is because it's just not meant to be, not yet."

Will smiled, his eyes crinkling and his dimples showing. His eyes glimmered with his usual liveliness. _Ah, there's the Will I recognize. Not this sad, exhausted, hollow shell of what he used to be._

"I'm not giving up hope. I'm just impatient."

Alyss smiled back. "And I love you for that."

And suddenly he was kissing her, and everything was right with the world.

After they broke apart, it took Alyss a long time to speak again. "I met another Ranger outside, who seemed to know me. He recognized me, but then he fainted. His arm was bleeding. Who was he?"

"His arm? Oh, that's Harrison. I didn't know his group had arrived. Trevor was his apprentice. You said he fainted?"

"Yes." _Poor Harrison. I should have helped him._

Will glanced around worriedly, his brow all scrunched up. "I hope one of the soldiers helped him. He needs to be cared for, his wound is deep." He peered over her shoulder, and called out softly, "Soldier!"

One of the Royal Guards standing a few meters away turned around and jogged over. "Ranger Will, sir, at your service." He snapped a smart salute.

Will nodded. "Would you happen to know the status of Ranger Harrison? I understand his group arrived a few minutes ago. He had a deeply wounded shoulder."

The soldier nodded. "Of course, sir. Ranger Harrison fainted from blood loss and was taken into the Great Hall to be cared for. The physician said he should be fine after resting for a while. I believe he's even woken up."

Will's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Good, thank you very much."

As he said this, another soldier came running over and whispered something briefly in his ear. The guard nodded and said to Will, "Sir, our commander has just arrived. He asks that when it is convenient, could he speak with you briefly?"

Will's brows furrowed, his mouth crooked in puzzlement. He glanced at Alyss, and she nodded. "I suppose, yes. Tell him to come right away." The two guards hurried off into the crowd.

Will had barely even had time to turn back to Alyss when a familiar voice from behind him said, "Well, you look like you've been through hell and back."

Will turned around, knowing who it was even before he saw his face. " _Horace?"_

His old friend stepped over in long strides with his long legs and wrapped his arms around Will. "I've missed you on the battlefield more than once since the last time I've seen you. What happened to you and the rest of the green bunch?"

Will smiled, but then became serious. "I should have known this was your battalion. I'd tell you everything right now, but I'm about to go debrief everyone and I'm going to have to talk a lot. You can hear it all then. And it's good to see you, I've missed you as well."

Horace grinned widely and slapped Will on the back. He then pulled Alyss into a tight hug. "Hello, Alyss, looking beautiful as ever."

Alyss smiled into the tough leather of Horace's armor. "Hello, Horace, you old charmer. It's wonderful to see you."

Horace stepped back and gestured to the Great Hall. "Well, it looks like the debrief is about to start. I was just in there and the King seemed impatient. Sorry to interrupt you two, but it's best not to irritate the King. I've learned that the hard way."

Will chuckled. "Of course." He took Alyss's hand in his and they followed Horace into the Great Hall.


	18. Chapter 18

" ….After my meeting with the Temujai Shan, Berrigan and I never saw anyone else, and rode as fast as we could here." Will swallowed hard, and what was left of his saliva oozed down his throat. He had been talking for a long time now, and had just managed to finish his story. The room was completely silent, all frozen in shock after hearing the horrific events that he had described. After the long moment of silence, the King gestured, and Will sat back down. Now that he wasn't speaking, he had the chance to really look around at everyone.

Alyss was sitting nearer to the back. Will had seen her the whole time, and her face had been carefully blank for the entire briefing. But even she had winced a few times when he described something particularly terrifying, such as when he described rolling down the river bank under the Temujai's feet.

Cassandra had entered silently sometime halfway through and sat down next to her. Her previously swollen stomach was nearly back to it's normal size. Will remembered back to when he had just returned from an extended mission and received a frantic letter from Horace that described in detail the excitement of his wife's last few weeks of pregnancy and then the birth. They had been blessed with a beautiful healthy baby girl that they had named Madelyn. Both he and Alyss had left immediately to visit them in Araluen. Will smiled slightly to himself as he remembered holding the little girl's hands the first time he met her, kissing her soft spot in the top of her head, gently squeezing her tiny toes. Her hair had been fine and golden like her mother's, but her grip on his finger had both of her parent's strength combined. He felt his smile widen as he remembered the moment Horace and Cassandra had asked him to be her godfather. Then he had held her in his arms, this tiny, pink, sleeping baby wrapped in thick blankets, and nearly cried. After visiting a little longer, reporting to the King, and then saying goodbye, he and Alyss had rode home. "You know," she had said hesitantly, riding next to him, taking his hand, "Maybe you and I should think about doing something like that." Will had laughed. He had said the exact same thing to her when he had first proposed to her as a much younger, less experienced Ranger on the Skandian duty ship _Wolfwill_ on the way back from Nihon-Ja. She had told him off at the time for such a sad attempt at a proposal, but he had suspected later that she had actually loved it. It had been one of those little moments that reminded him just why he had married Alyss and just how much he truly loved her.

Will, lost deep in thought, was suddenly snapped back into reality as he saw Alyss reach out and clutch Cassandra's hand tightly.

 _Focus. Thinking about things like that and smiling about it isn't appropriate… Not after everything that's happened, and certainly not in front of this many people._

Also sitting in on the briefing was as many of the Rangers that had arrived and could walk, which was quite a large number of them, at least ten or so. And even more Rangers were arriving at Araluen by the minute, as all the individual groups made their way into the castle. Accompanying them was a throng of soldiers, both common infantry stationed at the castle and Horace's battalion of the Royal Guard. In short, the room was packed full, but stayed nearly completely silent as Will had described what had happened to him. He had been careful not divulge certain bits of information, such as the location of the Gathering, and the rather important bit about a traitor in the castle. He had also only briefly glossed over what Halt was doing, assuring everyone that he was alive and tracking the Temujai as they spoke. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his deception, except for the King and Horace.

Will sat through the rest of the briefing in a daze of exhaustion and pain. A few other Rangers stood up and told their tales but Will had talked to most of them already and knew what had happened. Nearly every small party had been attacked by varying sizes of Temujai, according to their reports. As soon as everyone had said their piece, the room became so silent it could have been empty.

The King rose. He turned to the huge crowd sitting in shocked silence. "I know you all probably wish to know where this all happened, but the location of the Gathering is a closely guarded secret that even I do not know, and that's why Will was so vague about the distance from the Gathering to here, and so forth. So I'll have to ask you all to refrain from asking about that, because you won't get an answer. I have a few further questions, and then I will open the floor to anyone else who wishes to ask anything, in order of rank." He turned back to Will, who was still sitting in a chair off to the side next to Berrigan, inconspicuously nursing his knee and other various bruises and cuts. "Will? All my questions are for you. You seemed to have had the most exciting experience out of all of you, and by exciting I mean dangerous. I am particularly interested in what happened when you met that Temujai leader. Care to delve into that a bit more?"

Will dutifully described that instance in more detail, explaining how he left Berrigan at the campsite to go and find some water, how he sensed someone nearby, faced off with him, and talked to him. "He was a Temujai officer and Kaijin, a master archer, the son of the Sha'shan, the overall leader and military general of the Temujai. His markings on his sleeve were that of a deputy commander. He said that his name was Or'kan."

"And what kinds of things did you two talk about?"

"Mostly it was him telling me that Rangers were arrogant and destructive. He was extremely angry about what happened between Skandia and the Temujai a few years ago, and he was particularly bitter about Halt's and my involvement in his empire's defeat."

The King stroked his beard. "Interesting. Sounds like the son wants revenge for his father's defeat. His father must not have condoned the attack, otherwise he would be here, too. No, this must be a group of angry rebels gone rogue."

"Rogue indeed, my lord."

The King nodded once to himself, and then turned back to the crowd. "I open the floor. Anyone who has questions, ask them now."

Horace immediately stood, raising his hand. He stood and wrung his hands in front of him, then suddenly dropped them by his side as he hid his emotions behind a thin veil of sole news. _He was never able to hide what he was feeling very well, was he?_ Will thought.

He spoke with quiet confidence, without a single tremor. "I know you really don't want to have to talk about this, but unfortunately we have to, for tactical reasons… Would you mind informing us about your fatalities? I think anywhere on a scale from mild injury to death." Will noticed him tense up at the last word, though he managed not to wince and shot a brief, apologetic glance up at Will.

Will shrugged at him, maintaining his outward show of indifference. _I'll have to do it sometime anyway. Best get it over with._ "Well, I think first off, I can say that nearly every Ranger has probably a small injury, some good bruises or minor cuts. And we're all completely exhausted to boot. There a few of us who have some more major injuries… Gilan's got broken ribs, Harrison's shoulder is shredded, I know Leander's leg was stabbed. A good number of us have probably got concussions, the Temujai liked to kick, and a lot of them had lances… And, well," Will swallowed hard so his voice wouldn't crack. "Two died. An older, newly retired Ranger named Jonathan, and a young, brand new apprentice named Trevor." A few people in the room gasped, and then fell silent again. _Silent as the grave._ Will shook himself a little, forcing himself not to think too hard about what he had just said. He spoke softly, " ...In short, we're a little beat up."

Horace seemed to hold back a snort at that comment. " _A little?"_ he whispered to himself. But then he glanced up at Will, and Will was surprised to see immense sorrow gleaming in his best friend's eyes. He kept his voice carefully soft. "Will… I'm sorry about Jonathan and Trevor." He turned to all the Rangers. His voice faltered slightly with the emotions he was holding back for the benefit of the hundreds of people watching. "I'm so sorry, all of you."

The other Rangers there nodded at him, but a mutual understanding passed between them at that moment, and Will found he maybe felt just a little bit better, or at least, better than had felt the last few days. Horace nodded to Will once, and then turned and sat back down. The King stood once more. "Now I'm sure you all are wondering what this all means for us, here in Araluen. All that I have to say on this matter is that this country's most elite fighting and intelligence force was attacked." He gestured to the small clump of Rangers off to the side. "These men answer directly to me. An attack on them is, by extension, an attack on me and this entire country, no matter their reasons or original intentions. I trust my Corps completely and I am sure that they will close this matter quickly and efficiently, as they have done every time in the past. You can all be assured that I will be providing them with any assistance or support required in order to bring these Temujai to justice for what they have done, as well as to mobilize troops to increase security and ensure your safety."

The crowd buzzed at this impressive speech, some even applauded Will and the rest of the Rangers. But Will's knee chose that very moment to flare up with sudden, excruciating pain, and he forced himself to walk back to his chair without wincing or limping too badly. He barely even heard Duncan's speech as he tried not to fall over. In a moment, the pain suddenly settled back down again to a dull ache, and Will took a few deep breaths. He caught Alyss staring at him, her lips pursed. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged.

Duncan spoke with renewed urgency, though he hadn't seen Will's near breakdown. "Anyone else? Keep it short."

 _Short? I'm so tired I can barely stand, much less answer all these people's questions for hours on end._

A few other people unfortunately raised their hands, asking more trivial questions, which Will carefully repelled, not quite answering them and leaving them more puzzled than before they had asked the question. Finally, the King realized that Will had had enough and dismissed all the extra people except for Horace, the Rangers, and the Royal Guard. Alyss and Cassandra pushed their way up through the crowd to the front of the room to join the small group. As soon as most people had left, the Rangers all stood and most walked back into the Great Hall, where the rest of the Rangers were settling. A few members of the Royal guard accompanied them. Soon the room was nearly empty, in stark contrast to a few moments ago, when it had been silently bursting at its seams.

Cassandra rushed up to Will as soon as she had the chance and flung her arms around him. Will staggered slightly under her sudden weight, but hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're alright, Will. I got a message from Horace saying something had happened and I didn't know what to think."

Will smiled faintly at her. "Don't worry, I'm fine." He glanced quickly at the door. "Some others are significantly less fine, though."

Cassandra stepped back, wincing. "I know, I heard about Gilan and Harrison. And like Horace said, I'm so sorry about those two Rangers you lost. It's terrible… Especially the young one."

Will felt himself shrinking away again, guarding himself from the trauma and sadness. "I'm sorry, too," he heard himself say numbly.

He felt someone grasp his hand, and he saw that it was Alyss. She half smiled at him, he nodded back.

The King stepped forward, patting Will on the shoulder apologetically. "Sorry about all the questions, I know all you'd like to do right now is go get some food and rest, but I really need to clear up some things… You were very vague about certain details." Will raised an eyebrow at him. The King continued. "That's not a criticism, I know you did it in purpose; some information is not appropriate or wise to share with the general public. However, there were some holes that I need you to fill in briefly before I let you go." Will nodded. "One thing you never mentioned was how the Temujai knew to attack the Gathering. I mean, the very concept of the Gathering is only known by higher ranking castle lords and such, much less the exact location and schedule. The only ones with that sort of information are a few select people here in Araluen. Care to explain?"

Will sighed and was about to answer when he suddenly realized something, and glanced around. The Royal Guards nearby were carefully trying to look like they were guarding, but Will knew they had to be eavesdropping out of curiosity. At least, that's what he would have done. He murmured to the King, "One moment, my lord." He turned to Horace and whispered, "Horace, do you trust these men?"

Horace looked surprised, and said softly, "Will, this is my best battalion. I hand-selected every one of these men. I would trust them all with my life, and more importantly, the King's life."

Will nodded and turned back to the group again. "Good, because what I'm about to tell you, you can't share with anyone else. If this gets spread around, we may all be dead by morning." Everyone's eyes widened, but they stayed quiet. Will pushed on, nearly whispering, leaning into them.

"There is a traitor, here at the castle, who betrayed our location and schedule to the Temujai some months before this. It's the only way they could have known."

Cassandra sucked in her breath through her teeth, and Horace actually took a step back, his hand unconsciously gripping the hilt of his sword, his knuckles rapidly turning white. Only the King and Alyss remained still, their brows furrowed in deep thought. "He would have to be of high rank, and talented and clever enough to stay unnoticed and somehow get his information to the Temujai in time," the King muttered to himself.

Will nodded. "Yes, exactly. But I have no idea who it could be, and if this spreads and the traitor hears about it, he could become very dangerous. Considering how many Rangers he intended to kill with the information, I wouldn't put it past him to kill anyone who mentions even the idea of a traitor."

Alyss' brow was so deeply furrowed her eyes had disappeared into her head. "And the sudden appearance of the entire Ranger Corps has probably made him realize his plan didn't quite succeed in killing as many as he had planned. He'll probably attack the Rangers first, to finish what he started. I wouldn't be surprised if he is plotting to kill you right now." Her voice never broke or trembled as she spoke, but Will could sense her underlying worry. _She's braver than I ever will be._

Everyone's eyes widened and moved to Will in silence, even the King. Will looked at Alyss solemnly. "I, uh, I hadn't thought of that." He paused. "I suppose you're right. I'll tell all the others to look out for themselves and report anything suspicious."

The King rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm tempted to set more soldiers on you all, perhaps some body guards, or - "

"My lord," Will interrupted. "Setting more bodyguards on us at this point would only slow us down. Besides, you already have an entire battalion of the best Royal Guards here with us along with the regular shift of infantry. Anything more and I think we'll all go crazy."

The King raised an eyebrow at this. "Will, this isn't a matter of how uncomfortable you feel. It's a matter of the Corp's safety - "

Then, one of the few people in the world besides Will who could interrupt the King spoke up: Horace. "Sir, if there's anyone in this entire kingdom who can protect themselves, it's the Ranger Corps. And if anyone in the Corps can protect himself, it's Will."

Will shot him a grateful glance, and Horace nodded. The King sighed, and relented reluctantly. "Fine. But if anything, _anything_ out of the ordinary happens, I want to be notified _immediately_. Understand?" Will and Horace both nodded, and the King sighed again. "Alright. I have to go meet with my advisors, Cassie, you had better come, too. Horace, Alyss, do me a favor and make sure Will gets some rest." They both nodded in unison. The King turned to Will and regarded him for a moment. "And please, I know you want to, I can see it in your eyes. Don't go after this traitor. At least, not yet. Do it when you're feeling better, so you can face him on more even terms." Then without waiting for a reply, the King turned briskly on his heel and strode off down the hall. Will found himself nodding to no one as the King disappeared into another corridor. _He's right. I'll go get this traitor as soon as I've had a good long nap._

Cassandra touched Will's shoulder one last time, murmuring, "Come by our rooms sometime soon and visit Madelyn. I'm sure that would do you some good."

Will pursed his lips. _Do I have time?_ _So much to do, I have to find this traitor before he does anymore damage, I have to go back and find Halt…_ But then his lips spread into a smile as he thought about his beautiful little goddaughter. _Maybe just a quick visit before my nap._ "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Cassandra smiled tenderly at him, and then hurried after her father.

Will turned to Alyss. "I'm starved. Can we get some food?"

Alyss nodded. "You're not the only one. Let's go."


	19. Chapter 19

After eating the poor cooks out of house and home and having the doctors carefully check and wrap up his leg, Will and Alyss made their way slowly down the hall towards Horace and Cassandra's chambers. Will's body was stiff and sore, especially his knee, which was so tightly wrapped he could barely bend it, so he tried not to limp too heavily as he hobbled down the hall, Alyss holding his arm. She hadn't said much to him since their first conversation outside in the courtyard, so Will took advantage of the silence to gather his thoughts. Being with her had helped distract him from the things that had happened, but now that he had a moment to himself, it was as if the dam broke and all of those thoughts he had bottled came tumbling out, filling up his mind to the brim, about to flow over.

No matter how hard he tried, his mind kept flashing back to the scene in the woods, Trevor's trembling, bloody hand clutching his, then suddenly dropping back onto his chest, limp and dead, as he used his last exhale to whisper _don't lose hope._ Will felt his lips tug upward in a grim smile. Those last words had come to define his entire life at this very moment, it seemed. A little boy and his old cooking friend were dead, brutally murdered right before his eyes, leaving him helpless. His beautiful mandola, one of his most loved and prized possessions, had been shattered and abandoned, tread deep into the ground of the Gathering. The Corps were severely wounded physically and morally, and they were being hunted by the same rogue tribe that had attacked them in the first place. And that wasn't even the worst of it. Halt, the closest thing he had ever had to a father, his mentor, and his most trusted mission companion, unbreakable, unbeatable, someone he had always relied on to be there for him, wasn't here. He had left him to fend for the rest of the Corps by himself, and was now on a dangerous tracking mission to find these Temujai. And even if he did manage to do all that, Halt was… Well, he was retiring. He wouldn't be there to help Will after this, not anymore. And while Will knew he could handle himself, he knew that very well, he couldn't help but feel a deep sadness and apprehension at the thought of Halt not being on active duty. It would leave a huge hole in the Corps that could never be filled.

 _Don't lose hope._

 _I know you can do it… Without me._

Another scene flashed across his eyelids. Or'kan stood before him in the dimly lit forest, an arrow leveled coldly between his eyes. _If I am deciding my own fate, then can I not choose to decide another's as well? Like yours?_

 _So long as I am alive and of good mind, I will decide when I die, not for my sake, but for Alyss. And Halt. And everyone else whom I know loves and cares about me. No one will ever take that away from me. Not even Or'kan._

Will shook himself a little as Trevor again flashed before his eyes and the weight of what he had yet to do settled firmly on his shoulders. It was like a physical force, as if someone had laid a yoke across his shoulders and then shoved him from behind. He nearly staggered into Alyss, but he managed to regain his composure, and Alyss only had to grip his arm a little tighter. She didn't even seem to hardly notice. Will supposed she was probably buried up to her eyes in deep thoughts of her own.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "Hey… You alright?"

She looked at him, her eyes clearing up as she pulled herself together. "Yes, yes, of course. I'm just sorting things out for myself, you know? Things have been crazy these last few hours, well, days, for you…" She trailed off. "Just thinking things through, is all."

Will smiled at her. "Me, too. I have quite a lot left to sort through still."

She grinned back. "If only our minds could be as organized as Lady Pauline's filing cabinets. That would make things a lot easier when things like this come up." She glanced up at the hallway. "We're almost there. Horace should be expecting us. When was the last time you visited Madelyn?"

Will scratched his beard. "I'd say, three weeks ago?"

"Right. I haven't seen her since either. I'm curious to see how she's grown."

"Me, too." They had reached the end of the corridor, where two large double doors stood, closed tightly shut. They were unlabelled, but Alyss knocked smartly on the wood, and within moments, Horace opened the door and let them both in.

"Hullo, Will, Alyss, come right in. I have a chair for you right over there by the cradle, Will, go help yourself. Alyss, do you want one, too?"

She grinned at him. "No, thanks, Horace. Now, where's little Maddie?" Her voice grew hopeful and soft in excitement.

Horace grinned a huge, toothy smile. "She's in the cradle. Come over, both of you."

Will made his way to the chair, and Alyss stood next to him. They both leaned over the sides to peer in. Beneath a mountain of little pink and white blankets and small stuffed animals lay a small baby, her big green eyes wide open, staring at them. Her hair had grown in the last few weeks, already curling into a single shock of honey blonde hair, a few shades lighter than her mother's. Her face had become more defined, and she was definitely bigger than when he had first held her the day she was born. Horace smiled widely, lovingly down at her and whispered to her in a high pitched, tender tone, "How's my Maddie? How's my girl?" He reached into the cradle and gently lifted her out from under the blankets. She was small, and he had to support her head as he carried her, but she already seemed much stronger than before. Horace arranged her gently in his arms, the turned to Alyss and triumphantly presented her the baby.

Her face lit up. "Oh my goodness, well aren't you just the most adorable thing? Aren't you? Aren't you? Yes, you are, yes, you are…" Alyss crooned tenderly as she took the tiny girl in her arms, handling her expertly, holding her head just as Horace had, cradling the baby to her chest.

Will felt his lips spread into a wide smile, perhaps the widest smile he had bestowed upon anyone since the attack. He found it momentarily humorous that he chose to give that to a tiny little baby, who didn't even understand it. But his smile grew even wider as he took in the stunning sight of his amazing, beautiful, capable wife, cradling the tiny girl in her arms. He could see it from the way that she looked at Maddie… _she wants a baby just as much as I do. I want to be able to see my wife hold our own child like that. We both really do want that._ After giving her a minute more, he pushed himself to his feet, his knee holding steady, and he held his arms out to his wife. "My turn." She smiled at him and gently eased the little baby into his arms, helping him hold her head. Finally, she took her hands away, and Will was left with the small, warm bundle curled up against his chest. Her eyes peered up at him, huge, unblinking, her lashes long and thick. Her cheeks were round and chubby, and so soft looking that Will reached out with his free hand and gently ran a thumb across her cheek. It was one of the softest things he had ever felt, and he smiled down at her. "Hello, little Maddie. You're so small, do you know that? You're so tiny, and pink, and cute. Your cheeks are so soft, too!" He spoke softly, and oh-so-tenderly, as he let her grasp his pinky tightly in her little fingers.

Horace had been grinning at them both for some time. He glanced into the next room, then turned back around and murmured to Alyss, "I've got to go into the other room for something. I'll be back in a moment, alright?"

She had nodded at him. "Of course." She watched him duck into the connecting room. Then she turned her attention back on Will.

Will had walked off toward the window along the wall, where he was gently tilting her so that she could see the balcony beyond, which was filled with potted plants. He was softly telling her about the flowers in them. "...Ooh, look at that one, Maddie, that one's blue, and that one next to it there has a little bee on it. Do you see the little bee? It's almost as small as you. Oh, there it goes, now it's flying to the next one, that orange one over there. I wonder, can you fly like that little bee can? I bet you can…"

The whole time the little girl kept switching her gaze from the flowers to Will's smiling face, her green eyes wide. Occasionally she would open her mouth and make a little gurgling or whimpering sound, and Will would act as if she was answering him, saying, "Yes, yes, that's right, Maddie, that one's yellow…" Soon it seemed as though they were having a conversation, and Alyss smiled at how truly adorable it was. But she also smiled because of Will's face. In the last few hours she had seen him, his eyes had been dark and dead, his usual sparkle dimmed. His face had gained more wrinkles from the stress and worry, and the many partially healed cuts on his face didn't help him look any better. His brows had been locked in a furrowed position, as if he was constantly thinking and worrying, and his lips pressed in a thin, unforgiving line. She had even caught him a few times with tears glimmering along his lash line before he blinked them away. She knew he would never shed them in front of so many people, but it worried her. She knew he had gone through a lot, so he had every right to look like that, but it still made her feel so sad to see the cheerful, grinning, easy-going young Ranger she had married shrouded in this darker side that was both saddening and terrifying. But when he held Maddie in his arms, when he looked at her, all those things melted away. His eyes sparkled again in the sunlight, his face relaxed, and he was truly beautiful. _Now that's the man I know. Loving, tender, gentle. That's my Will. He'll make such a good father._ She knew she loved him whether he was happy or sad, whether she could find happiness in him or not, but she always felt sad when he was like that, and seeing him with Maddie made her feel truly happy.

She realized that she had been pursing her lips up and blinking furiously at Will throughout her long train of thoughts, and now Will had noticed and had turned to her curiously. His face remained lit up, his eyes still sparkling, and a little, tender smile curving his lips. "What is it? You've been looking at me funny for three minutes now."

Alyss smiled wistfully at him. "I'm trying to 'paint a mental picture' of this moment, as George likes to say, so I can remember it forever."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because it's beautiful. And happy. You're beautiful."

Will smiled at her, raising one eyebrow. "Uhm, thanks? I don't know, if anyone's beautiful here, it's definitely you. I'm all cut up and bruised."

She laughed and shook her head, stepping up close to him. "No, no, you're beautiful whether you're cut up or not. No, it's when you look at that little baby, you give her such a tender and loving look… it's truly beautiful." She gently reached out and took Maddie from him, cradling her in one arm.

She smiled as Will wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close so that Maddie was supported by both of them. "I could say the same for you. You're beautiful whether you're holding a baby or not." And then he leaned in and kissed her.

Horace stepped across the doorway only to see Alyss and Will kissing passionately, with little Maddie snuggled safely between their two chests. He grinned at them both. _Excellent. They both needed a good long kiss, I think._ After a long moment, he cleared his throat, softly. Will broke off and glanced over sheepishly, and seeing it was him, gave him an awkward little wave. Alyss also glanced over and smiled warmly at him. She let go of Will and stepped over to Horace, handing Maddie over to him. He took his baby girl in his arms and then went to go lay her back her crib.

Will reached out for Alyss as she came back toward him and he took her in his arms again, hugging her tightly for a long moment before finally letting her go. They both gave each other knowing looks, then stepped apart as Horace came over to see them out.

"Thanks for coming. I think you both really needed a little baby love. Hopefully Maddie did the trick."

Will grinned at him widely, and clapped him on the back. "I think she did just that. She's beautiful, and you're a great father."

"Thanks. I don't think I've quite gotten used to the fact that I'm a 'father' yet."

Alyss gave him a tight hug. "Well, better get used to it quickly. Just wait until she's older, that's when the real fun begins." She stepped back from him, towards the door. "Thank you for having us, it was such a pleasure. I'm sure we'll come around again soon, we might need another dose of her adorableness."

"Well, feel free to come back any time. Now Will, go take that nap, I saw that yawn."

Will grinned at him. He had unsuccessfully stifled a yawn some moments before. "Don't worry about that, Horace, I might fall asleep before I even make it to my bed, it's just a question as to if I'll actually get there before passing out."

Horace slapped him on the back as they stepped out the door. "Better get going then, or else you'll fall asleep in here."

"Goodbye!" They both called one last time as Horace closed the doors. Alyss took Will's elbow again to help him along, and they began to make their way back to the Great Hall. Will felt himself begin to sink deep into his thoughts again as they walked in silence. His knee was starting to loosen up; he suspected the painkillers were starting to set in, and his eyelids sank lower as he threatened to doze off.

His eyes were nearly closed when a flash of metal whooshed through the air, narrowly missing his ear, and impaled itself into the wooden beam behind him.


	20. Chapter 20

Will should have died right then and there. Only sheer luck saved his face from being impaled by the flying knife. His knee happened to ache right at that exact moment and it buckled slightly, causing him to sink a little lower in his stride than normal. Had he not sank down that tiny bit, the knife would planted itself firmly into his right eye. But no, he swerved down enough that it only brushed past his ear, leaving a hairline cut that he didn't even feel. Alyss gasped as the knife clunked into the wood behind her and pulled Will down towards the floor. Will immediately hit the ground and rolled to one side of hall, ducking under the banister, while it took Alyss a bit longer to scramble across the stones to the other side of the hall. Will's hand instinctively felt for his bow and quiver, but he cursed silently as he realized he had left them in the Great Hall. He drew both knives, squeezing their hilts tightly, and he stared intensely at the curving hallway from where the knife had appeared. He heard a quiet _shhhiiink_ and he glanced across the landing to see Alyss draw her saber, which she had been wearing on her belt. "Who was that?" Alyss hissed.

Will glanced back at the knife stuck deep into the wood pillar. "I have no idea. Apparently he's good at throwing knives," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

"Can you see anything?"

Will strained to see around the curved hallway, but his view was blocked. "No, nothing. Not even a shadow."

"What are we going to do?"

"We sure as hell aren't going to wait for them to show themselves. That's giving them the advantage they want. Are you ready?"

She hefted her saber, her face set in hard lines. "Ready when you are."

Will rose to one knee. "On the count of three, we are going to burst around that curve. Be ready for more knives to come flying, and fight to incapacitate. We can't take any chances here." He held up his hand. He held up three fingers, then two, then one.

In one sudden movement, they both flung themselves forward, Will in the lead, and he burst around the corner, his saxe and throwing knife already crossed. A single knife flew past his head again, but Will saw it coming and ducked to one side. Without warning, a huge figure dressed in all black brandishing a broadsword was hammering down on him. Will raised his knives in a cross shape, and the blade stopped dead. Will shoved back triumphantly, but then the sword twisted violently and the saxe was snapped out of his hand. It went spinning off down the hall, clattering down the stairs, and out of sight. The swordsman staggered back, off balance. Will swore, then flung himself back to take stock of the situation. There were three men in the hallway, all in black with masks over their faces. Alyss was fighting one with her saber and holding her own quite well, while the other two had advanced on Will. _I need another knife, I can't hold off two swordsmen with this tiny throwing knife._ "Alyss! You still have that knife on you?" He backed slowly into a corner as the men began to advance on him again.

Alyss shoved her attacker back with the flat of her blade. "Of course! Do you need it?"

"Yes! Toss it to me!" He grunted as the second man came running at him and he ducked under the sword and slashed his throwing knife across his side, cutting shallowly into his flesh. The man hissed and stepped away, causing another momentary lull in the fighting, as the other, larger man had stayed back. Alyss had reached into the fold of her dress and pulled out a thin bladed knife, which she now tossed end over end to Will. He caught it deftly in his free hand only to bring up in another cross as the big swordsman advanced and swung down on him yet again. This time Will expected the twist and held his own, but he couldn't help but wince as the massive broadsword sank deeply into the thin knife, leaving a huge nick in the blade. The throwing knife held its own, but he knew the other knife was going to be wrecked. "Who are you? What do you want?" He shouted at them.

The big man only stabbed at him. He growled in a deep voice, "You were supposed to die. We're here to finish the job." _I don't believe it. It's the traitor._ Will glanced across at Alyss, but she hadn't heard what he had said. He exchanged a few more blows with both swordsmen, alternating between the two men, managing to kick one in the gut and slash the other's upper arm. Alyss' knife grew more nicked and bent every time a sword clashed against it. _What kind of swords are they using?_ He caught a slight bluish glow coming from one of the blades, the bigger sword, and he recognized it immediately. _Nihon-Jan steel. Where could they have possibly gotten that?_ He winced again, this time in pain as one of the swords scored a shallow cut across his upper arm. _Time to end this. I might not be able to beat them, but we can sure outrun them._ With all the strength he had left, he slammed the smaller swordsman back with the hilt of his blade and then thrust, hard, with the crooked and chipped knife as hard as he could into the torso of the larger swordsman. The enemy managed to deflect the knife up away from his stomach and heart, but Will had put enough power behind it that he was unable to fully deflect it, and Will felt the strangely satisfying resistance as the knife sliced through his skin and sank deep into the flesh of his shoulder, cutting through muscle and tendon. The man screamed, his arm hanging limp, and Will ripped the crooked knife back out, causing more damage, and kicked him in the knee, sending the man staggering backward, moaning. Will shoved past both men and sprinted for the stairs, shouting at the top of his lungs, " _Run, Alyss!"_ She had stabbed the man she was fighting in the thigh. He had collapsed against the side of the hallway moaning, and she had been coming to help him. Hearing his shout, she ran after him, her saber still drawn. As Will and Alyss jumped down the steps at top speed, the huge swordsman shouted something unintelligible, and Will could hear the heavy tread of boots on the floor close behind them. As he hit the last stair, he saw his saxe laying under the table nearby. He leaned down and scooped it up. "Follow me," he hissed to Alyss as he ducked through more corridors, making random turns with her close on his heels. The tread of boots behind them became softer as the wounded men failed to keep up with Will and Alyss' quick pace, and all that could be heard was their heavy breathing as they ran full tilt up the stairs. Soon, Will found a linen closet and they both hurled themselves inside, shutting the door behind them, and then clapping their hands over their mouths to hide their breathing. There was no sound from behind the door, only fading and slowing footsteps, and after two long minutes, Will glanced at Alyss, and they both sighed at once, gasping and heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

"I think… They're gone." Will's chest heaved.

"Yeah. We hurt them enough that they… Probably had to give up chase." Alyss leaned her head back against a stack of sheets, gasping. She had a thin cut on her cheek, but it didn't look too bad. _She seems alright._

They waited a few more moments in silence as they both finally managed to breath. Alyss spoke first. "Who was that? What was that?"

Will swiped a hand across his brow. "That was the traitor. I'm sure of it."

Alyss' eyebrows rose. "How do you know?"

"He told me. He said, 'You were supposed to die. I'm here to finish the job." Who else could possibly know about any of that except for the traitor himself?"

Alyss nodded, her brow furrowed. "You're right, I suppose. But isn't it just a little too good to be true? I mean, we only just decided the traitor must be here. And who were those other two men?"

Will nodded. "Those other men, I don't know. But that big one, he was using a sword made with Nihon-Jan steel. Remember, like that one Horace owns?"

"Yes. Is that why it shredded my knife? I mean, look at it. It's destroyed beyond use." She gestured to the thin knife in Will's fist. What had once been a smooth, thin, well crafted blade was now bent totally crooked in three different places, with huge triangular chunks missing from both sides. "May as well melt it down, the way it looks now."

It looked so preposterous that Will almost laughed. "Thanks for letting me use it. Do you want it back?"

Alyss's lips slowly spread into a smile. "Of course not, you idiot. That thing is beyond help. For all I care you could drop it in the moat."

Will finally did laugh. "Alright, moat it is. But we should probably keep it a bit longer to show the others what happened. Speaking of the others, we should also probably get back to the Hall. They'll be wondering where we are. We'll have to run again to avoid those men. They're probably still nearby."

Alyss rolled her eyes. "More running. Just what I was hoping for."

But Will only smiled at her. "Race you there."

Berrigan lay on a cot in the corner of the Great Hall as the last of the Rangers made their way in. It was now late evening, the sun was setting, and every group of Rangers had made it back to the castle. Miraculously, there had been little to no other injuries during their journeys, and by dividing up most had been able to avoid contact with the Temujai. Now 47 Rangers filled the Hall, along with a few straggling apprentices and retirees. Only Will, Halt, and Crowley were missing. It was quite a rare sight, seeing that much gray and green in one room. Thankfully, the Royal Guard had been carefully stationed at every entrance to the hall, keeping unwanted people from coming in to gawk at the sight of the entire Ranger Corps in one single room. In fact, as far as Berrigan was concerned, he didn't think that this many Rangers had ever been in a single room together ever before. I mean, sure, they all met at Gatherings, but this was different. But, he also supposed this was the first time they had ever been attacked like this either. It was a lot of firsts for the Corps.

He rolled restlessly off the side of his cot and picked his way to the front of the room, where the King was standing with members of the Royal Guard and Gilan, who had bandages wrapped around his ribs. They were all conversing intensely, murmuring over one another. As Berrigan came up to them, the King whirled on him almost aggressively and asked, "Where's Will? Is he still napping? We need to talk to him immediately."

Berrigan shrugged. "I haven't seen him for a half hour, my lord. He went off to the doctor and the kitchen, and then he said something about visiting Princess Cassandra's new baby. I assume he's probably making his way back from that?"

The King turned away and began to pace back and forth. "Well, he'd better get here soon. We need to find this traitor quickly before he comes after any of you or gives away anymore information."

Right as he finished speaking, not even twenty meters away, one of the side doors leading to the Hall burst open with a distinctive _bang_ , nearly coming off its hinges. Will came charging through in a full on sprint with Alyss close on his heels, both brandishing bloody blades. As soon as Alyss had crossed the threshold, Will slammed the door shut behind him, and they both slid down the door posts, gasping for air. Alyss had a thin, bloody cut across her cheek, and Will's arm seemed to be bleeding slightly as well. Both Alyss' saber and Will's knives were covered in thick black blood, and Will held a third, thin bladed knife that had been bent and nicked so heavily it barely even resembled a knife anymore. They both lay across the floor, breathing heavily as Berrigan and the King raced over. "Will? What the hell happened?" Berrigan called as he reached them.

Will glanced wearily up at him, his eyes bloodshot. He cleaned off his knives on his cloak and sheathed them. "Well… Some _lovely_ fellow and his friends decided to surprise us in a back hallway. Alyss and I were not expecting it and it didn't end up the way it had been planned: with both us of dead."

Berrigan gaped at him. "So… You got attacked?"

Will sighed and nodded. "We got attacked."

Berrigan felt his eyes nearly pop out of his head. Gilan stepped up from behind them all and asked incredulously, "Why didn't you just say that _?"_

Will looked hard at both of them. "I did."

 _My god, but he sounds like Halt. Wonder how_ that _could be..._

The King leaned over Will, speaking quickly and firmly. "By whom? What happened?"

Will only shook his head. "I'll explain in a moment. In the meantime, we need to seal the castle and get everyone gathered up. And I mean everyone, servants, soldiers, guards… _everyone_." Alyss, who hadn't yet spoken, whipped her head around to raise her eyebrows at Will in a silent question.

The King stared at him, bewildered. "What? Why?" Alyss asked the same thing with her eyes, still staring at him, bewildered.

Will's eyes shone with fresh determination, and a small, satisfied, grim smile spread across his lips. "Because I know how to find the traitor."

 **Hi guys! I know I've been gone for agesssss and I wanted to give you guys everything that I've written for this book all at once. You've all waited long enough, so here you are. Thank you for being patient and I hope you know that today you'll be getting over 20 new chapters all at once! Enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments, or leave me a review. Thank you so much for reading, I'll post t ending soon!**


	21. Chapter 21

In twenty minutes, the castle had been sealed by carefully selected men and the conference room was filled with as many people as they could cram into the space. Nearly every single Ranger had arrived, and were crowded together in a group behind the raised platform in the center of the room. The Royal Guard stood in their formal ranks near them, and then anyone from nobility and military command to a common peasant or servant had filled the room to the brim. Will and Alyss had filled in the King and Gilan, Berrigan, Horace, and a few other select people on exactly what had happened, and Will explained exactly how he was going to find the traitor. Now Will, Alyss, Duncan, Horace, Berrigan, Gilan, and a few others stood on the platform. A few guards had been sent out to make sure that nearly everyone in the castle was in attendance, but Will was certain that the traitor should already be there. The temperature had gone up in the room, and now sweat trickled down Will's neck from the humidity. There wasn't much noise, only a dull murmur, the rattle of chairs, and bang of wood on stone. He turned to the King as the soldiers herded in the last of the stragglers. "My lord, it's no use waiting anymore. He's already here."

The King raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

Will just looked at him. "I can feel it." He turned away and then stepped forward, raising a hand to the crowd, and the silence that fell almost immediately was deafening.

He cleared his throat once. "I know you are all wondering why you are here. I will let you all know in just one moment. But, considering the circumstances, I'll just get right to the point. What I'm about to ask of you is a very strange request, but I need all of you to do it. Every single one of you. Do you understand?" Most people in the room nodded. "Alright, I need everyone to raise their left arms, please, straight up into the air, and keep your other arm at your side."

The room let out a low murmur of question, but most did what Will asked. Hundreds of left arms rose up into the air, until the room looked like a classroom of puzzled students all trying to ask the same question. Will made a subtle gesture behind him, and a few of the Rangers standing behind the platform began to make their way through the crowds looking carefully at each and every person to see if their arms were raised all the way. Will also scanned the crowd from above them, looking carefully for anyone who might not have done so. He managed to work his way through the entire crowd of people in front of him, and he sighed in frustration, feeling his brow furrow. _This was supposed to work! Why can't I see anyone? They have to be here, else they would draw attention by trying to leave. What am I missing?_

"Will." That was Gilan. He had come up to the side of the platform, and Will leaned down to hear him. "I got him. Royal Guard, last row, back corner. Arm is barely raised past his chest, seems to be in pain, and he's sweating like crazy."

 _Royal Guard? Is Gilan joking?_ Will looked. Royal Guard, last row, back corner…. Sure enough. The man that stood there had his helmet on him just like all the others, so he wasn't immediately distinguishable from the rest. But just as Gilan said, his arm was barely raised past his chest, and it was shaking as he struggled through great pain to hold it higher. "Everyone can put their hands down, thank you," Will told the crowd as he jumped off the platform and made his way through the guards to the last row in the corner. The crowd erupted into chaos, shouting and pushing at each other as they tried to see what Will was doing. The man never flinched as the noise swelled and Will came closer, but Will immediately recognized the build, his sword, even his eyes, which he could see through both the mask he had worn and the helmet he wore now. Alyss had followed him, and she stepped up beside him and nodded to him. _She thinks it's him, too._ Will stepped up close to him. "What's your name, soldier?"

The guard didn't flinch, his arm had collapsed back to his side, where it hung limply. A large bulge, characteristic of a bandage, swelled through his clothes on his left shoulder. "McAffry, sir."

Will leaned in as if he was telling a secret, but he spoke loud enough people around could hear. "I don't think I was quite clear. What's your _real_ name, 'McAffry'?"

The guard never broke eye contact, but he growled in a familiar deep voice, "I don't know what you're talking about, Ranger."

The guard's eyes glittered at Will, and lines of sweat trickled down his face. They were the same dark black ones Will had seen in the hallway. _It's him, alright._ "Oh, I think you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Will peered around his side, at his sword. "Mind if I look at your sword there?" He didn't answer, but he also didn't resist as Will grabbed the hilt and pulled it out of the sheath with a _shhhhhing._ "Horace? Could you come here for a moment?"

The knight stepped up, peering intently at the soldier. But he didn't say a word, only looked at Will. He twisted the blade in his hand, showing Horace the blue-ish gleam that reflected off the blade. "If I'm not mistaken, I do believe this blade is yours."

Horace stared at it, dumbfounded. "But - it was supposed to be at the tanners? They were rewrapping the hilt with fresh leather - "

"Well, it seems that he is most definitely not a tanner. I know you want it back, but is it alright if I keep it for just a bit longer?" Horace nodded once, then shot another strange look at the soldier.

Will nodded to the men on either side of the soldier, and they took him by the arms and took him up the the staircase and onto the platform, followed closely by Horace and Will. The King stepped to one side as the soldier came near him, and murmured to Will, "Are you sure it's him?"

Will looked him dead in the eye. "Completely. I have enough proof to put him away for life."

The King nodded once, and then reached out and shook Will's hand. "I trust you enough to believe you, for now. Later, though, I would like to hear all about this proof, but I suppose that can wait, if you're completely sure." The King paused for a moment, and then met Will's eyes. "Once again, I am blown away. I am truly curious as to how you managed to figure it out in such short time."

Will smiled a little. "A story for another time, my lord. I'll give you the proof, and that should be enough for now."

Suddenly, there was an uproar in the crowd in front of the platform. One of the Royal Guard had broken out of their formation and pushed their way to the base of the stand. He was now yelling up at the soldiers, breaking through the din of the rest of the crowd. "One moment, my lord." Will broke away from the King and pushed to the front to see what was going on.

"Why are you arresting my friend? What did he do? Borrow the Commander's sword? Why did you have us raise our hands? What the _hell - "_

"If you quiet down for a moment, I'll tell you," Will said firmly. The room quickly fell silent, the other soldier silently fuming down below. "Now, what's your name?"

"Edwin, sir."

"Edwin, your friend, McAffry, is a traitor. He is the one who betrayed the location and schedule of the Gathering to the Temujai in order to get me and the rest of the Corps killed in cold blood. Thankfully the attack was not quite as successful as he had hoped, and I am still here to tell you all this."

The room was dead silent. Will spoke quietly. "Does that answer your question?"

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and was about to leave when another voice rose up from the crowd, some random person near the back. "How did he do it? How do you know?"

Will turned back to the crowd, a little bewildered. "Do you really want to know?"

The crowd roared a hearty 'yes', and Will had to raise his hands again to get silence. "Alright, alright." He turned to the soldier. "Do you want to enlighten them? Because there are a few things I don't quite know about you yet." The man stared back, unmoving, a harsh glare pinching his features. Will shrugged. "If you won't tell the story, I suppose I'll have to. But do correct me, I'm bound to get a few things wrong." Then he turned to the crowd, and then to McAffry. "I'll start at the beginning. You were born in Celtica, yes? Or at least, you grew up there. I can tell because of your accent, when you spoke to me. Now, you probably had a bad run in with a Ranger somewhere down the line, perhaps even something to do with our interactions with Morgarath in relation to Celtica a few years ago. In any case, you hate Rangers with a burning passion. And when you heard about the Temujai invasion, you sensed an ally. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' You got in contact with the Temujai rebel groups and found one to your liking, one planning revenge on the Corps. You probably offered to spy for them here in Araluen. And so you began burrowing your way into the system here, taking months to solidify your position in as a high a rank as you could manage. Now, I know for a fact that even high ranking Royal Guards don't get access to sensitive information like the Gathering, so I'll wager you probably snuck into some sort of meeting where this information was discussed. As soon as you had everything you needed, you sent it off to the Eastern Steppes by black market mail or some other shadowy messenger, where the rebels used it to plan their attack, staying in contact with you all the while.

"Skipping ahead to after the ambush on the Gathering, as soon as we all started arriving here, you realized that the attack hadn't gone as planned. You overheard me and the King talking all about it, and you realized just how much I suspected. So you got a few goonies to come and hide out in a back hallway with you and attack me when I was least expecting it, to finish the job your rebel friends couldn't. You even stole your commander's sword to beat us down. But you made one fatal mistake: you allowed yourself to be heavily wounded. I stabbed you deep in the left shoulder with my shredded knife, which probably cut a lot of muscles that shouldn't have been cut. So all I had to do to find you was to see who had a freshly injured shoulder. And if I just pull the neck of your shirt aside - " Will reached up and pulled on the collar of the tunic to reveal a large lump of bandages. Will lost his patience and tore the seam on the clothes, opening up the shoulder for all to see. The large amount of bandages were already starting to dampen with fresh dark red blood, and the soldier winced and looked away. "A fresh wound. The accent. The sword. Did I miss anything?"

The room was silent for a long time, everyone in the audience gaping at Will and the accused soldier alike.

"Ainsley."

Will glanced sharply at the soldier. It was the second time he had spoken in the meeting. He stared at him, hard, but didn't reply.

The soldier's shoulders seemed to slump down and a little sigh escaped through his lips. "Ainsley," he said, softly. "That's my real name. Erik Ainsley. And everything you said was true."

The audience gasped. Will folded his arms. "Really? Care to fill in the blanks?"

Ainsley sighed again, and then murmured, "I suppose so, considering you figured out everything important. Yes, I'm from Celtica. One of you Rangers, you - you shut down a smuggling ring in my town, sinking one of the ships that my father was on. My mother died of the plague soon after, and then my sister. The Ranger Corps took away everything I loved before I was fifteen years old." The crowd gasped again, and Will held back some biting remarks about how his father being a smuggler was his own fault. The man continued on, a slight tone of resignation softening his voice. "A few years later, I heard all about you and the older Ranger in Skandia. I travelled to the Eastern Steppes to meet with them, and I joined them. They sent me back here because I could speak Araluen, and I quickly enrolled in Battleschool. In a few years I made it to the Guard, and I came under the command of, well, Commander Horace." He nodded to Horace, who was openly scowling off to one side. "I knew that he was close to you all, so I… Got friendly with him." He seemed to hold back a wince. Horace's glare darkened further. "Soon enough I knew about everyone important in the castle. It was almost a joke to simply hide myself in a closet and listen in to a meeting between the Corps Commandant and the Battlemaster. I sent everything off to the east, hired a couple men to help me, and the rest… Well, you all know what happened."

Horace had gone from very red to very pale, and he was almost as angry as Will had ever seen him. In the silence that followed Ainsley's speech, he marched up to the front and snatched his sword out of Will's hand, the ripped the belt and scabbard off of Ainsley's waist. "You were my best new recruit," he hissed in his face. "You've done great things for this country in my service… While all the time you were gunning for the death of my best friend and the rest of the Corps, sending sensitive information off to some dangerous foreigners." Ainsley tried to keep a straight face, but Horace's anger was so potent that he couldn't help but flinch as spit flew in his face. "I thought you were going to be the next Commander, that's how good you were. But now… The only thing you're destined for is a cell."

Now Ainsley actually winced, but he remained silent. His eyes flashed to Will, and he looked almost… Remorseful. But then his eyes iced over again, and he stood in emotionless silence as Horace chained his hands behind his back and ripped the Royal Guard uniform insignia off him. "You don't _deserve_ to wear one of these. Not when you betrayed the very country that welcomed you with open arms after your family tragedy. On top of that, you tried to assassinate my friend, not once, but _twice_."

The crowd settled into a low murmur, penetrated by occasional shouts of hatred and mocking at the traitor. Horace moved to escort Ainsley roughly off the platform, the rest of the Guard forming up behind him, grim expressions on all their faces. Will stopped them for a moment, standing directly in front of Ainsley. "I want you to know something, before they put you away for good. Your plan… I'll admit it was a good one. But you do realize that the only ones you managed to actually kill were a little boy… And an old man newly retired. And even they didn't go out without a fight." He leaned in close to the man, a sudden wave of unbridled anger swelling. He didn't even try to suppress it. "Me and another Ranger, we carried that little boy with an arrow in his chest for _miles_ through the middle of the night, with a hellish band of assassins on our heels. He didn't even make it halfway." Will clenched his fists. Ainsley cowered a little. " _He died in my arms._ And do you know who was directly responsible for that? _You."_

Emotion flickered across the traitor's face. Will's nose nearly touched his cheek his he leaned as far as he could while maintaining eye contact. "Yes, your plan was good. But guess what? _It didn't work._ There are still 49 other Rangers left perfectly alive who are gunning for your blood, _me_ being one of them." Will whispered into his ear, so that only he could hear him. " _The urge to kill you right now is very strong. But I won't, because I'm not like you. But make no mistake, if hear about anything, from resistance of capture to attempted escape, I will visit you in your cell and make you wish you had died with your father on that boat."_

Will leaned back, out of his face, and took a large step away, taking a deep breath. Ainsley was trying not to tremble, to pull himself together, but his eyes kept flickering between Will and the large group of Rangers who had now gathered at the base of the platform, staring at him with varying degrees of contempt.

He noticed Horace staring at him, hard, and he nodded at him. Horace ordered his men away, and they dragged Ainsley out of the room and down into the depths of the castle. As soon as the traitor was gone, the King vaguely dismissed everyone. The crowd, still murmuring and yelling, began to slowly trickle out of the room, the last few stragglers escorted out by the last few soldiers. Soon, all the civilians had been cleared out, leaving the Rangers, the King, and few others. Moments later, all the Rangers began to trickle back into the Great Hall, leaving only Gilan, Berrigan, and Harrison.

Alyss, Horace, Will, the King, and the other three Rangers all met on the floor. The King leaned into Will, grasping his hand, murmuring, "Well done, Will. I do believe that's a new record - catching a criminal in, what, two hours?"

Will grinned faintly at him and shook his hand. "All in a day's work, my lord."

The King just laughed a little and shook his head, but then his face turned serious again. He pulled Will away from the group, and spoke to him softly, almost urgently. "Listen, Will, now that you've caught this bastard, I know that all you want to do right now is to go off and find Halt. Am I wrong?" Will grudgingly shook his head, but he suspected what was coming. The King's next words confirmed it. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go, at least, not yet. For all we know, the Temujai could be reverting their attack to _this_ very castle, and you know them the best. I need you here to help with the defence. Halt can work from his side, and us from ours, and we can meet in the middle."

Will tried to keep his tone neutral, but failed miserably as a tinge of anger colored his voice. _He's telling me not go help him? How could he?_ "My lord, I have to disagree - "

"No, I don't want to hear it." The King held up a hand, interrupting Will. He clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I need you, _right here._ Going to find Halt will only get you killed faster, and considering how lucky you've been already, we wouldn't want that luck to somehow have run out."

Will's brow furrowed, and he felt himself clench up with anger. _Halt is like family. I can't leave him out there alone._ "My lord, we've already lost two! You can't expect me to leave Halt and Crowley out there alone! If I don't go, two is going to increase to four - "

"I'm sorry, Will, I didn't want to have to do this, but it looks like I have to." He stood tall, and stared hard at Will, meeting his gaze squarely. "I _order_ you to stay. You are not allowed off the castle grounds, and you will not leave here unless expressly allowed by me, and me _alone_."

Will felt his lips set into a firm line, and he hid his anger, seeing as it had done him no good. He felt his blank mask cover up his face, but his hands still clenched and unclenched as he fumed. _He has no right. No right to do this. He doesn't even understand what he just a got himself into._

The King seemed to sense what he was thinking. He quickly spoke up. "And if you try to leave _without_ my permission, I guarantee there will be consequences. Do you understand me?"

 _What kind of consequence could be worse than Halt and Crowley dying because I wasn't there to help them?_ "Yes, my lord," Will said tightly. He gave a small bow, never breaking eye contact with Duncan.

The King observed Will for a long moment in silence, then turned on his heel and strode off across the hall. Before leaving he quickly leaned into Horace's ear and murmured something. Horace seemed to nod reluctantly, and the King nodded to him. Before striding out the door, he called to Will, "Meeting. My office, tomorrow morning, as early as you can get there after breakfast. _Don't_ be late." And then he was gone.

Will walked slowly back over to the small group. Gilan, Berrigan, and Harrison all glanced away quickly, suddenly finding something very interesting on the ceiling. Alyss was wringing her hands, and Horace was scowling. Will glared at all of them. "Oh, give it up, all of you, I know you heard all of that."

Gilan glanced sheepishly at him, his arm wrapped around his broken ribs. "Will… I'm sorry. I would try to convince him otherwise, but… Well, then I would just get the same treatment as you."

Will raised an eyebrow at him. "Treatment?"

Gilan pursed his lips at him, glancing at Horace, who also scowled sheepishly. A couple members of his Guard were advancing behind him, and Will groaned. "No! Horace? Bodyguards? _Really_?"

"I'm sorry, Will. I wish I didn't have to, but… The King ordered me, too. If I don't do it, I could lose my job. And, well, think about it rationally. He needs you, Will. He needs you here, where you can help him, not somewhere off in Araluen where no one can find you with angry tribesmen hunting you down for bloody revenge!"

Will sighed as the two guards came up to him. "I know that, Horace, I know that very well. But all the same, I can't just leave them out there, all alone. They'll _die."_

Horace shook his sadly. "I'm sorry. I don't have a choice." Then he turned and walked away, leaving the room, his shoulders slumped.

Gilan slapped Will on the back once, and gave him a meaningful glance, then followed the rest of the Rangers back into the Hall. Berrigan followed him after murmuring, "Sorry, Will, I wish I could go, too."

Harrison grabbed Will's shoulder. His eyes were still painfully sad and empty. _I suppose my eyes must look like that, too._ "Will, I wish we could go. The King had no right to do that. He doesn't understand what we went through, what it means to us - "

Will clapped his good shoulder. "I know, Harrison, I'm so sorry, I tried to fight it."

Harrison leaned in close. "I don't care how you do it, but I'm too hurt to go out and help Halt. I'll just be dead weight. But you - "

"I know, Harrison, I know. I'm not just going to leave them. I promise you that. Not after what happened." They both shared a moment of sad silence, and then Harrison left without a word. The two guards assigned to Will looked at him for a long moment, and taking in Will's pointed glare, they too left the room, closing the door behind them. Will knew they would be waiting on the other side for him, but they were smart enough to give him a little privacy.

Now Alyss and Will were alone in the Hall. She stepped up to him and silently took his hand, leading him to the platform, where they both sat down, dangling their legs off the side. She leaned against him, pulling him to her comfortingly. "As much as I hate to admit it, Will, the King is right. About you, I mean. You're more useful here, you know more about the Temujai than anyone here." Then she sighed. "But I also know that it's not a matter of how important you are, it's what you think is important. Especially in situations like this."

Will wrapped his arms around her. "I know… It's just, it's so hard."

Alyss narrowed her eyes slightly at him. "Why?"

"Well…" Will stuttered, "it's just… Everything that's happened. The whole Gathering, the ambush, Trevor, the escape… After all that, it's been really tough to put it all behind me. And everyone's leaning on me so heavily, sometimes I feel like… I can't take the weight." He choked up on the last words.

Alyss took him tenderly in her arms and held him tightly, murmuring, "Oh, Will, you can take it, I know you can. But that weight gets pretty heavy if you don't let some of it go. Some of that weight is what you put on yourself. So you have to let some of it go. You have to let some of it go..." She trailed off.

She held him for a long time after that. She held him through the silence. She held him as he talked about something, nothing, everything. She held him tighter as he cried, great, racking sobs that shook his whole body, as he shed the first tears for Trevor, for Jonathan, for Halt. She held him as he cried for himself. She held him as he dried his cheeks. She held him as he kissed her, long, and hard. And she held him as they walked back into the Hall and laid down on some blankets in a corner. She held him as he slept. And she only let go once she had fallen asleep.

A few hours later, Will slowly opened his eyes. Alyss had rolled over under the blankets next to him, and he slowly crawled out of bed, tucking her in tighter. He got to his feet and slipped on his boots, belt, cloak, and quiver. He looked at Alyss one last time, then turned away, ghosting silently across the hall. None of the other exhausted Rangers woke, and only a few stirred. The guards standing on duty never even saw him leave. He made it to the stable and saddled up Tug. Then he rode off, across the drawbridge, into the dark forest, the early morning sun just barely starting to touch the hills.

 _Time to go find Halt._


	22. Chapter 22

Halt and Crowley had been trailing the Temujai for three days now. It had been one whole day since they had cut the water skins, and several hours since the Temujai had unexpectedly changed directions. Instead of going east towards Araluen, they had suddenly switched to going more northward, curving around in a big loop, but at a slower pace than before. _So they've given up on Will and the others for now,_ Halt thought. _They're coming after us._ He couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. They were finally leaving Will and the other Rangers alone, who were no doubt exhausted and wounded. Halt felt a lot better knowing that Will and all the others were safe by now. He was sure they had made it to the castle, that was the only explanation as to why the Temujai would turn around. They weren't equipped to attack a large and well defended fortress like Castle Araluen, that much Halt knew from observing and watching their camps. They were travelling very lightly, and moving quickly. But now he and Crowley had to be very careful as they decided how to deal with these rogue, bloodthirsty tribesmen who wanted nothing short of their heads on a platter. _Yes, Will is safe, for now. But now I have to figure out what we're going to do with these people before they catch us._

He and Crowley had been riding through the whole day at an accelerated pace in order to gain a bit of ground of the Temujai approaching from behind. They had managed to get ahead, and were now consumed with the task of leaving enough evidence of their presence that the Temujai would continue to follow them. They broke large branches every once and a while, made sure to trample large patches of grass, and stepped deep into patches of mud with their boots to leave clear prints. Halt even went so far as to leave a large piece of material from his cloak stuck in some sap on a pine tree. Crowley had scowled at him, and muttered, "If you leave clues like that, they might realize we're baiting them. That cloth is so obvious it's almost sickening."

But Halt had only shrugged silently and suddenly flashed back to when he and Will were tracking the Genovesians, before he had been shot and poisoned, and how they had left much the same clues to bait them. _These Temujai are not very skilled trackers, considering how many marks they leave and how many of them there are. It would be a shame for them to lose our carefully laid trail._ He had said as much to Crowley, who had only scowled deeper, and muttered something under his breath that Halt didn't catch.

They both now rode side by side down a narrow ridge along a hill top. They hadn't passed any towns in a few hours now, so Halt figured they must be nearing the river between Castles Araluen and Caraway. They had been riding all day in almost total silence, so Halt had had a long time to think. He thought about Will. He hadn't had much in the way of strange dreams since the one from the previous night, but the visions still flashed across his closed eyelids. _I hope he's alright. I hope they made it. I hope… No one died._

But he knew that someone had to have died. That kind of attack… There was no chance they had gotten away without a loss. He hoped the survivors were alright, and that not too many people had died. He hoped… That Will hadn't died. Gilan, Harrison and his new apprentice, Leander, Frederick, Berrigan…

He hoped they had made it to the castle. He hoped that the King had taken care of them, and that they were all reporting to him, helping him shore up their defences just in case the Temujai did attack the castle. And most of all… _I hope Will doesn't come. If he tries, he'll only get himself killed. If he's not dead already. He needs to help the King. He needs… To stay alive._

"Halt… It's getting dark."

Halt blinked hard, shaking himself out his thoughts as Crowley spoke. "Yes, I can see that," he muttered cryptically, still a bit muddled.

Crowley sighed. "Well, aren't we going to make camp? Or are we going to go attack the Temujai? What's the plan, Halt?"

Halt rubbed his eyes with his palms, stretching his skin and clicking his jaw. "Well, we can't make camp, at least, not here. If the Temujai continue to travel through the night, they'll be on us so quickly we won't have any chance." He glanced back down the roadway, as if expecting the tribesmen to pop up from behind some hill at any moment. "No, if we are going to do anything, we're going to double back around them and wait until _they_ camp. And then we'll sneak in and hear what _their_ plan is."

Crowley nodded. "That's all well and good, but how are we going to double back around them? Won't they see us?"

Halt just smiled. "No, no, they won't."

Crowley raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you have a plan."

Halt smiled. "That I do. Follow me."

Two hours later, Halt crouched on a thick branch high up in a tree. He had carefully rigged a kind of rope harness that he now wore under his cloak over his tunic, and he had tied the other end securely to the tree limb above him. His bow was also loosely tied to the very same limb with a short length of rope between the bow itself and the tree. This allowed for him to shoot with the bow, but he could also store it above him by balancing it on the limb, where it would be invisible and the rope would keep it from falling. He had tucked his quiver under his cloak where it was out of sight, and he now sat comfortably along the thick limb with his legs dangling freely. He looked down and saw the ground a long, long way down. He settled his eyes on the horizon line, off in the distance, just over the top of the hill. There was still no movement, no sign of anyone coming. He glanced across the tree line, and saw Crowley settling into a pine tree a hundred meters away. Halt nodded to himself, and then sat back again to watch. He and Crowley were going to sit up in the trees as the Temujai passed by underneath them, and listen in as they talked. Rather, Halt was going to listen in, since he was the only one of them who understood a bit of the Temujai language.

Halt kept his eyes trained on the small hill that blocked the view of the road from the forest. He knew that the Temujai would have to come over that hill in order to keep following the trail that he and Crowley had laid with a few good deep footprints and broken branches left along the trail headed towards the trees. Now it was only a matter of time before they came.

It hadn't even been an hour when the first scout appeared over the hill. Halt had to stifle a laugh as the Tem'uj got down off his horse and looked at something on the ground. He stood and brandished a broken branch over his head like a trophy, one that Halt distinctly remembered breaking earlier, and made a hand signal to someone behind him. _Sure, these men are good fighters, but their trackers are idiots._ Another guard joined him, and then they both signalled once more. And then all at once, at least twenty Temujai crested the hill.

They rode in an extended line, their leather saddles stiff and shining, their colorful armbands stark against the dull greenish-gray grass under their mounts' hooves. Their faces were hidden beneath helmets, masks, and cloths, and the unmistakeable point of a recurve bow bobbed up and down behind most of their heads. Another few carried huge lances that they had secured to each side of their horse with straps, and at every soldier's hip a traditional saber caught the light. They were quite an impressive sight, and Halt flashed back for a moment to his days living with these warriors. _They were intimidating then, and they're still intimidating now even after all they've lost. There's a certain kind of respect owed when a broken nation can still hold their heads high and demand reverence from even the most powerful countries._

The rider in the middle was seated upon the tallest of all the horses, had the most ornate saddle and leather armor, and his rank on his armband was visible even from this distance: blood red. _So that's the Sha'shan's son. The rebellious child that wants vengeance for his father's defeat a decade ago. He looks the same age as Will._

The Shan raised his hand, and the company began to move again, forming up several rows, and moving in towards the forest. Halt glanced across to Crowley's tree, deliberately moving his head to look at him. Crowley stared back at him, and in the early evening light, Halt could just see his dark eyes glittering from under his cowl. He nodded once, and he saw Crowley's cowl bob down as he nodded back. _Now,_ thought Halt, _all we have to do is wait until they go by._ He sat back against the tree, wriggling his buttocks into a more comfortable sitting position, and prepared to wait.


	23. Chapter 23

_Damn it._

 _They're camping._

 _Here. Right under us._

 _Damn it._

Halt bit down more curses as he heard the Temujai speak. "This clearing looks good. We will set up here. The Rangers cannot be far ahead now."

The Temujai had advanced through the forest, reaching the point where Halt and Crowley laid in wait just as the sky turned completely dark. The Shan had just stopped the company right under the very trees Halt and Crowley sat in, and told them to set up camp. _So much for dropping back behind them. So much for following them. So much for our entire plan._ Halt clung to the tree branch and trunk, not daring to move a muscle. The Shan himself had pulled his horse to halt right under the tree Halt sat in. The creature's back hooves both rested on the base of the trunk, and Halt felt the horse's heavy hoof-falls vibrate through the whole tree.

 _I'm going to be stuck in this tree the whole damn night._

Halt waited what felt like ages, but what was really only an hour or two, as the Temujai set up small tents, built fires, and set up the Shan's bigger and grander tent next to a roaring campfire, and moved fallen logs and rocks around it to creator a meeting place. Soon, most of the higher ranking men sat in a circle around the fire, with the rest of the men standing in a loose circle around them. They began to talk about logistics, money, equipment, and the like, and Halt knew he had a chance to breathe. When he was certain none of them were looking around too much, he dared to shift his head just a few inches to his right, until he could just make out Crowley's dark form, barely even a dark blob next to the tree trunk in a tree nearby. He hadn't moved either, and he seemed to be doing alright. Since he was farther away, there weren't any tents or fires directly under him, and Halt breathed a sigh of relief. _Crowley has a chance of getting out of here if anything goes wrong. That's good._

The Shan below began to speak, Halt listened in. "I don't need to hear any more of this. These numbers and lists, they mean nothing to me. What were the last reports from our scouts, At'lan? What of the Rangers we left behind?"

 _Left behind? He must mean the others! Will and Gilan and all the rest of them..._

The man named At'lan, who seemed to be some sort of assistant, stepped forward and said, "The Ranger you met in the woods, he lead the rest of them all the way to the castle. My men attempted a few attacks, but they were split up into small enough groups that it was more difficult to find them than we anticipated. We only hit a few parties, and none of the men reported to have gained any fatalities. My border scouts sent word just hours ago that they made it to the castle."

The Shan's brow furrowed. From above, it was almost comical as Halt watched the skin on his forehead morph from smooth to bizzarly bumpy, sticking out from his face in little rolls. But his next words wiped the small smile off his face faster than the knowledge that they had run out of coffee.

"Then Will Treaty is truly as resourceful and capable as the stories say. I should have killed him in that forest."

Halt felt his heart drop from his throat to his feet, and he almost let go of the branch. _Will. Will met him in the forest. Will got all the Rangers back to Araluen. He did it._

 _He did it._

 _And he's alive._

Halt could barely contain an irrationally large swell of relief, and he had to shut his eyes and take a deep breath. _Now, if he stays where he is and doesn't decide come after me on some hair-brained rescue mission, then we'll all make it out of here in one piece. Mostly one piece. Maybe._

The Shan below had continued with a question. His forehead was still wrinkled up, folds of skin sticking out of his face. "And do we have any word on the two old ones? They were supposedly just in front of us a few hours ago."

"The scouts have not seen them for a few hours, but they are fairly certain they are still in front of us. If we travel light and fast tomorrow, we may be able to overtake them."

 _We've been riding at a slower pace just to make sure you stay on our tail. I don't think a group of your size could overtake us if you tried your hardest…_

"We shouldn't have much problem with those two. I suspect they stayed behind to draw us away from the larger group of _atabi._ Once we take care of them, we can go track down the rest. Most of them are wounded, so they also shouldn't be too difficult to deal with."

 _Doesn't he realize that the longer they stay here, the higher the chance that they turn a corner and find the whole of Duncan's army standing with swords and bows ready? Not to mention Will and as many Rangers who undoubtedly want revenge?_

"You men all know that we may not get out of this alive. But I want you to know one thing: your deaths will be worth it. We will slay these _atabi_ that destroyed our empire, and I will return to take over my father's throne a hero. Those who have already passed will be remembered with as much honor as the finest warriors in our tombs back on the Steppes." The other men let out a hearty cry, bellowing and cheering.

 _He just convinced them all to give their lives for him. And they listened. And they agreed. He may be consumed with vengeance, but he's a powerful leader._

The Shan held up his hands, and slowly they became quiet again. "Tomorrow, we will capture these two meddlesome _atabi_ and get rid of them. Then we will go find Will Treaty and his band of survivors, and wipe out what little is left of them. I think…" The Shan paused in his speech. In the firelight, his eyes glowed demonic black, the flames reflecting blood red in his pupils. His whole body shifted and tensed as his demeanour transformed from emotionless to dark and vicious. "I think I will make him watch as I kill them all, slowly, one by one. Then I will kill everyone and everything he loves. And then, finally, I will let him kill himself. A merciful end, one far kinder than he or any _atabi_ deserves."

Halt felt his blood run cold as he listened to the Shan's plan, and then a surge of unbridled anger swelled. _He wants to hurt Will and everyone he loves. That means Alyss and Pauline and Horace and Cassandra and… I will not let that happen. I would die before I let any of them be hurt like that. Especially Will._ He reached up for the branch above him in the tree, and felt around in the darkness for the knot that tied his bow to the limb. He carefully untied the rope and pulled the bow down towards him, clenching the grip in tight fingers, warming the wood to his touch. He drew an arrow from his quiver, reaching in under the fold in his cloak. He aimed the arrow at the Shan through the branches, his eye tracing down the black arrow tip, glittering in the firelight, to the Shan's own glowing black orbes of fire. _How easy it would be to simply end him, right here and now._ But Halt knew he couldn't do it. There were too many branches in the way, and clinging to the tree for so long meant that his hands cramped and trembled as he held the bowstring. His shot would be too tight and skew away, and would eventually hit a branch. Shooting an arrow now would only make noise, and that was the one thing Halt didn't need right now. _Some sleep would be welcome, a peaceful moment maybe, and a snack sure wouldn't be amiss. But any sound right now seals my coffin._

"First, we must find…" The Shan kept talking, but Halt hadn't heard a lot of it as he had been fumbling around for his bow. In his hurry, he had shifted his feet on the branch below. As he slowly eased the arrow off the string, he reset his feet again, trying to sit back against the trunk more comfortably. But in the darkness, his depth perception was poor, and Halt's foot slipped off one side of the branch. One moment, he was settling himself back against the trunk, the next, his left foot was dangling in mid air and his cramping right leg couldn't take the sudden weight shift. He fell sideways off the branch without a sound, his right leg hitting the branch hard, one hand clutching his bow and the other scrabbling for something, anything to grab onto to stop his fall. He free fell for only a few feet before his harness kicked in, and his fall was suddenly and brutally halted as the rope ran out of slack. His breath was knocked out of him as the harness wrenched up, and he felt his rib cage nearly collapse. He must have blacked out for a moment, because when he came too, he was dangling in the air about three meters below the branch he had been sitting on. The harness bit into his torso, but his thick clothing had protected him from the worst of it. His hands had been burned raw and sliced open from grabbing at the bark, and he still struggled to breath. He blinked once, hard, as his vision slowly returned, and he reached out to grab the trunk to stop his gentle swinging. He felt his hands dig into the sappy bark, thankful that he had thought to use a harness… _his bow._ He had been holding his bow when he fell. And he had untied it just moments before. He whipped his head around, back and forth, looking for the weapon in the branches, his only source of light the dim orange firelight from below. He held back a sigh of relief as he spotted it, caught on a branch not far below him.

The Temujai had fallen silent as the sudden creaking of wood sounded from the tree above them. The branch had held as Halt's harness stopped his fall, but it had groaned loudly under his weight. Then had come a series of cracks and swishes as branches and leaves were shaken loose and showered down on the Shan as he fell.

"What was that?" the Shan murmured to At'lan. The officer shrugged, but stepped up to the trunk of the tree and peered up between the branches. Halt, who had been painstakingly reaching for his bow, froze as he saw At'lan peering up through the branches. He was still high enough up in the tree that he probably couldn't see him very well. But any movement would give him away. Halt held his breath.

At'lan stared up at him for a long moment. Then he turned away and said to the Shan, "I don't see anything. It was probably just an old branch or a fox." He drew his sword and poked it up through the branches. The metal blade had a much longer reach than Halt had anticipated, and though it was still too short to reach him, the shining tip brushed the branch that his bow was balanced on. Even just that tiny movement was enough to shake it loose, and Halt could do nothing but watch, cringing deep under his cowl, as his bow slipped off the branch and fell down, down, down, turning end over end as if he had tossed it like a knife, until it finally landed with a _thud_ and a puff of black dust at At'lan's feet.

 _Damn it._

Halt could only watch as the Tem'uj slowly bent down and picked up his bow. The Shan had come over, and he was leaning over the smaller man's shoulder. "That's no branch."

"No," the Shan said, taking the bow from him. "That's a bow. A longbow. An _atabi's bow."_ His eyes burned as he stared up into the tree. Halt knew he couldn't see him, but he could almost swear the Shan was looking right at him, right _through him_. Without breaking eye contact, the Shan said, "Surround this tree. The only thing I want falling out now of it is a dead Ranger."

 _Damn it._

Halt's heart thudded in his ears and in his bruised ribs as the men all got up, and made a tight circle around the base of the tree. _I have to get out of here. But where can I go?_ He glanced around once, futily, since there was obviously nowhere he could go. He _could_ jump to another tree. They would hear it, but he might still have a slightly larger chance of escape. _No. The trees are too far apart. I would never make it._ He shot another glance over to the tree he hoped Crowley was still in it. _Don't come out, Crowley. Stay there._ There was no movement, so Halt could only assume Crowley was either still hidden or gone.

The Temujai below were drawing their bows at the Shan's command. _This is it. There's nowhere to go._ At'lan still stood directly below him, blocking his ability to climb down. He had sheathed his sword and was talking to the other men, facing away from the tree. Halt was struck by a sudden idea, one that was absolutely senseless and insane.

But it was the only one he had.

He glanced down the trunk, and was satisfied to see that it was relatively clear of branches from where he hung all the way to the ground.

 _If I'm going, better to go out with a bang._

He reached around his hip, drawing his saxe. He brandished it above his head like a torch. One final salute.

 _This one's for you, Will._

He twisted his arm and slammed the knife into the tree above him, slicing the rope that kept him tied to the branches high above. He had barely managed to rip his knife out of the bark when he was suddenly airborne, falling, slipping down the trunk towards the ground. He barely felt the branches he skimmed on the way down, down, down, and in just seconds, he came crashing down… Right on top of At'lan.

At'lan screamed as Halt's legs suddenly slammed into his shoulders. Impact hurt. Every bone in his body jarred as he hit the Tem'uj, and his torso didn't provide much padding. His hand slapped a branch and burned like fire as the skin ripped open. His head smacked against a tree root, and everything went red. He felt At'lan's legs buckle, and suddenly Halt was flat on his back, sprawled on top of him. His already bruised ribs ached as he struggled to breathe. The world spun around him and he wondered if he was still falling. He lay there, in a daze of pain, and all he could see was blurry tree branches above him by the faint light of the fire. A head bobbed into his vision, it was the Shan. He could see his lips moving, and through the pain, he heard, "That's one. Find the other." _Crowley. No._ Then something slammed into the back of his head, and everything went black.


	24. Chapter 24

_Wake up._

He opened his eyes.

He reached up with his hands and rubbed them, clearing his vision.

He was moving.

He was smothered in hair.

Horse hair.

Tug moved smoothly under him, his gait as steady and strong as it had been hours ago. Will barely even bounced as he lay sprawled in his saddle, his hands twisted up in Tug's mane, his head and torso leaning against his neck. He knew he had to get up. He pushed gently against his neck, raising himself back up in the saddle. He glanced around groggily. They were still riding, but the last time Will had checked, it had been early in the morning. Now they cantered along a ridge shrouded in trees in the late morning light.

"Did you wake me up?" he murmured, patting Tug's neck.

 _Yup. We're getting close. You slept nearly all morning._

Will yawned heavily. "I think I could sleep for a week and it wouldn't be enough."

Tug bucked his head up and down, inviting him to rest his head on his neck again. _You can go back to sleep if you want. We still have another half hour._

But Will shook his head. "You're sure we're still on track? And you didn't see any Temujai?"

 _Of course. And if I had found any of those tribesmen, you would have woken up pretty quickly, because I'd be running away from them as fast as I could. Don't you recognize where we are? We rode near here on our way back to the castle._

"I'm so tired right now, I don't think I could recognize my house much less this place. But I'll take your word for it. Do you need a rest?"

Tug rolled his eyes and kicked up his pace a little. _I'm fine. I can run as long as you need me to. It's only been a few hours. It's you that'll be fast asleep when a Tem'uj bursts out of the trees with swords ablaze._

Will rolled his eyes. "That's why you have wake me up before it comes to that. I need to get ready, in case they're all waiting for me up there with, as you say, 'swords ablaze'. And we still need to find Halt and Crowley."

 _Oh, I picked up his scent a while ago. We've been following it ever since._

Will nearly fell off Tug. "You _what?_ You found their scent?"

 _Yes. Halt has a very… Distinct scent. I can always smell him from a long way off. I can also smell Abelard. And another horse and human I can only assume to be Crowley._

Will raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by _distinct?"_

 _I mean that he smells. Like someone who doesn't carry enough apples in his pockets._

Will cracked a small smile. "Fine. Stop up here, and I'll give you one. I have to get some water anyway."

Tug nodded his head. _I can also smell other people and horses. I think those are the Temujai._

"What do they smell like?"

 _They smell like sand. And strange dirt. And their horses smell, well, like me. Like Ranger horses. But a little different._

"I guess they would smell like you, since some of them are probably related to you."

Will guided Tug over to a small spring just off the side of the ridge they were riding on. He pulled an apple out of his jacket pocket and gave it to Tug, who crunched it blissfully. He also gave him a good handful of oats, murmuring, "Thanks for letting me sleep. And for finding Halt." Tug had only nodded as he chewed on the oats, and Will went to the spring to fill his water bottle. He drank as much as he could, then ate a few pieces of dried meat along with some crackers, then he and Tug set off again.

Within another half hour, just like Tug said, they passed the hills near the Gathering grounds, and Will's stomach clenched and turned itself inside out as he imagined the carnage that probably still remained there, festering in the dirt. The tables, the benches, the food, the bodies, the blood… But Tug took him past it, saying that their scent was still beyond.

Another few hours passed, and by early afternoon, Tug snorted. _We're really close now._

But Will was gazing at the ground. The hoof prints of Temujai horses, so many layered over one another, were fresh in the dirt. "They were here. They're up there. These prints are only a few hours old."

 _They're all up there. Go over that last hill and they should be right nearby._

"Alright." Will dismounted Tug and grabbed his bow and extra quiver. "I'm going to go see if I can find out what's happening. Go off into the trees."

 _I think I can find Abelard._

Will pursed his lips. "Fine, go find him. But then stay with him, stay hidden. And don't try anything dangerous."

 _I'll be ready for your signal when you get into some kind of trouble because I'm not with you._

Will rolled his eyes, but smiled. "And I'm glad for that. See you soon." Tug turned and trotted off into the trees. Will watched him go, then he set off towards the hills. He moved silently through the tall grass, and he bent over only a little to remain unseen. Moving quickly, he reached the last hill before the first in ten minutes, and he crouched down in the grass just a few feet shy of the top of the hill. He inched his way up and poked his head over the top. From his higher vantage point, he could see that several hundred meters inside the tree line, the outlines of tents and the glow of fires marred the usual forest of its uniform dark green tree branch pattern. _So that's where they're camped._

Movement in the grass next to him. Soft, barely even a rustle of stalks and branches, but it was unmistakable. Will turned in his crouch, his saxe knife leaping from its scabbard to his hand, expecting a Tem'uj to come hurtling out of the grass, knife in hand, a snarl baring his teeth and spreading his lips. His head turned to see…

" _Will!_ " Crowley was there. He threw himself down on the ground next to Will, and grasped his hand firmly. "I didn't think you would come. It's so good to see you, well, _alive."_

Will almost laughed aloud in surprise. It was Crowley. Crowley was here. Will almost didn't know what to say. They had both been through so much in the last few days, and neither of them knew what was happening in relation to each other. But Will knew it wasn't the time for story telling, not yet. But his curiosity got the better of him. "The feeling is mutual. Where's Halt? What's happened? What's going on?"

Crowley's face darkened. His face was marred by worry lines and age, fatigue and stress carving cuts into his skin. Scattered bruises and cuts covered his hands and wrists. But his next words made Will forget his concern for him. "Halt's been captured. By the Temujai."

Will's eyes widened. He didn't say anything. What was there to say?

"And I have no idea how to get him back. He's hurt." Crowley's face was pleading now. "So I'm really hoping you've come bearing good news and that you've thought up one of your fabulous plans right about now, because otherwise, _Halt's going to die."_

Will could only make sense of one thought running through his mind.

 _I came too late._


	25. Chapter 25

Halt was awake, that much he knew. But from what he could hear, he didn't know if he wanted to open his eyes.

He fluttered his eyelashes as a cool, early evening breeze brushed against his face. It felt uncannily like his mother's hand gently stroking his cheek when he was little to help him go to sleep… But then again, maybe he was just hallucinating. Then all at once, the pain hit. Every bone in his body ached and burned from falling out of the tree. The huge open cut on his hand stung sharply in the cool air and his ribs throbbed where the harness had bit into his torso. He was lying on his back, and his hands were tied tightly together in front of him with a thick piece of new rope. He tried to flex his wrists, but winced as the cut on his hand oozed out fresh blood. His ankles were also tied together over his boots, and the familiar weight of his knives and quiver were gone. He moved his head just the tiniest bit, and immediately felt the knot on the back of his head from hitting a branch on his way down. The small movement made his vision flash red again, but he forced his eyes to move under his lids. The light overhead was patchy and dappled, but getting progressively dimmer. The leaves rustled around him, and somewhere nearby there was a large river. _Maybe they're gone,_ Halt thought. _Maybe these blasted Temujai thought I was out cold so they left me here. What if I could just escape now?_ But as his awareness expanded and adjusted to his surroundings, he could just pick up the sound of voices. There had to be at least six of them nearby, speaking in low tones. Halt knew there had to be more of them around than that, but for now, with his eyes closed, it was hard to tell. _So much for escape._

After lying there for a few moments in peace, he heard one of the men say in a louder voice, "Alright, that's enough. I know you're awake, Ranger. You've been up for a while, and I think you've wasted enough of our time." Halt heard his footsteps crunch through the leaves as he walked over right next to where Halt lay. "Open your eyes, or I'll kick you in the ribs."

 _Oh no. Kicking in the ribs right now would not be good. I have too many bruises there already. Guess it couldn't hurt to take a peak._ He reluctantly peeled open his eyes, and even the dim light filtering through the branches above him was too much for his concussed senses. He couldn't help but wince and writhe, and the Tem'uj laughed.

"Rise and shine, Ranger. There's someone here who wants to talk to you."

Halt felt two men grab his arms, and he clenched his teeth as they dragged him to his teeth. Every single bone and muscle in his body fiercely protested the movement, and Halt struggled not to pass out from the pain. He felt his feet finally find their footing, and he cracked his eyes open again. It was now mid evening, and the dim forest around them was sparse. He could just make out a drop off a few hundred yards to their right, where the rock sloped into a steep, jagged cliff, and a river whooshed down at the bottom. He blinked over and over, struggling to make his eyes focus, but his head had been hit too hard. All he could make out was a blur of colors and people. Two of the Tem'uj had hauled him to his feet, and now he was standing, leaning heavily on them. Another figure was walking towards him. He caught a flash of blood red on what he assumed was the man's arm. _It's Or'kan,_ he thought. _The Sha'shan's son. The one who wants to kill Will. And me._

"Welcome, Ranger, to our humble abode. Or should I say, campsite."

Or'kan's voice was deep and thick and gravelly. His very body seemed to rumble when he spoke. Or maybe that was just Halt's head pounding and his ears throbbing. _Who knows at this point whether I'm witnessing reality or simply some dream I'm inventing for myself. Or maybe I died. Maybe I'm in the afterlife._ Halt's stream of thought paused for a moment. _It this is the afterlife, then it's sure as hell not what I was expecting.  
_  
Halt couldn't top squinting, although his vision was getting better. He could now make out Or'kan's face. "I would say your campsites are anything but humble. I've been observing them for the past few days. That large bonfire you always light? Not very humble, if you ask me."

Or'kan cracked a smile. Halt felt a small sense of relief when he realised he could now make out the Temu'jai's lips. _I'm regaining my senses. Thank god for that._ The world outside suddenly didn't seem to be quite so bright, and he realized he was standing with a bit more ease now.

Or'kan had continued talking. "We weren't really going for humble, Ranger. In fact, you fell right into our trap."

"Your trap? What kind of trap did you think you were setting?"

"We knew we would catch one of you eventually. Now all we have to do is wait for the other to come rescue you."

Halt forced a laugh. "Oh, really, so that's your 'trap'? Accidentally catch me and hope that my friend comes running to my rescue? Not a very good trap, if you ask me."

Or'kan's smile was painful now. "Well, you can talk all you want, but I wasn't the one who fell out of a tree. If I'm not mistaken," he said, pulling what seemed to be rope out of his pocket, "you were thoroughly tied into the tree, were you not? And you still managed to drop your bow _and_ fall off the branch? Not a very good Ranger, _if you ask me."  
_  
Halt's face darkened. "I wasn't _asking you."  
_  
Or'kan's face, though young, as young as Will, still managed to look so ferocious in that moment that Halt had to fight to keep a straight face.

" _And I wasn't asking you."_ His voice was full of venom.

The Tem'uj turned away, walking back to where he had come from. He seemed to be leaving.

 _Better keep him talking. It might prolong my survival._ "Enough with the small talk, Or'kan, why aren't I dead yet?"

The Shan froze, with one foot hovering in the air between steps. He briskly turned and strode back toward him. His face was impossible to make out, some mix of confusion, anger, and perhaps a bit of admiration. "Finally, you ask me the right questions. But we are not on even ground; you know my name, but I do not know yours."

Halt raised an eyebrow. Even that small motion hurt. "Even ground? I'm beat to pulp, barely standing, tied up, and you think we're not on even ground because you don't know my name? I wonder if you know what 'even ground' means."

But Or'kan just rolled his eyes. "I didn't ask how you were doing, I asked for your name."

Halt gave an eye roll of his own, and hid a small measure of satisfaction as Or'kan's scowl deepened. "Halt. My name is Halt. Not that it matters, since you're going to kill me anyway."

Or'kan nodded. "Yes, I know of you. You were one of the Rangers that we already knew the name of. You were..." Suddenly his eyebrows flew up, and his jaw clenched as registered the name. His eyes blazed with sudden realisation and fury. " _You_! _You_ were the Ranger who lead the attacks in Skandia, the Ranger who defeated my father's army, who sent us scuttling back to our country in bits and pieces! _You_ left us for _dead_!"

Halt could do nothing as Or'kan took several long, angry strides toward him, until he was right in his face. " _You_ \- you destroyed my country, my family, and my future, Ranger Halt. You and the other one, Will Treaty. You _both_ will pay for what you have done. To me, to my father, and to my country." He spat in Halt's face, his voice barely above a whisper, but containing enough venomous anger that Halt was afraid he would be killed instantly. But then the Shan backed away, calming down again.

Halt took his chance. "You tried to destroy the entire known world. It was only right that since you set out to capture everything, when you lost you would also _lose_ everything. That is the way of the world. I did not do that single handedly, nor did Will. We were simply protecting our Skandian friends and our own country. Surely you can understand that."

Or'kan turned back toward him, his face disturbingly calm. "I don't care who or what you were defending. You destroyed my country in one day. I will destroy your family in two. _Revenge_ is the way of the world. Don't let anyone tell you differently. " A ghost of a smile flitted across his face. "You asked why you weren't dead yet? You really don't know?" He walked back toward Halt, though this time at a more relaxed pace, as if they were taking a walk through the park making simple conversation. "You're a smart man, Ranger Halt. I'd be terribly disappointed if you hadn't figured it out by now."

Halt shrugged, then immediately regretted it as he had to clench his jaw tighter to keep from wincing. _Definitely got some cracked ribs down there._ "Yes, I think I know."

"Well, have at it. Tell me why you're not dead." He spread his hands and sat down gracefully on a tree stump like he was sitting down to an elegant feast in a palace, not on an old dead stump somewhere in the middle of the Araluen forest.

 _Cocky bastard. I'll show him._ "Well, it's all very simple, isn't it?" Halt kept his tone light and flowy. "I'm your bait."

Or'kan noticed Halt's voice, and the only thing that gave away his irritation was the flick of his eyebrow. "Very good. Care to elaborate?"

Halt trudged on through the explanation. "You keep me alive solely to lure the other Rangers in. You failed to kill enough of us in your ambush, so you have to finish what you started. They all flock to help me, you kill them as they come. Like sheep to the slaughter."

Or'kan's emotionless mask came down in a single moment, going from a passive, uncaring leader to an angry, bitter, deeply hateful man who wanted nothing more than to kill him. His eyes suddenly seemed to burn red, and his whole body tensed, his lips curling into a snarl. It was one of the most terrifying things Halt had ever seen. He couldn't hide the flash of shock and fear in his eyes, and he saw Or'kan smile at his terror. "Exactly. I am going to keep you alive just long enough to look each and every Ranger in the eye before I kill them. You will get to watch as I destroy your family the way you destroyed mine. You and Will Treaty. Oh, the plans I have for the both of you. You'll be begging for death by the time I've finished."

Halt struggled to keep his tone calm. "I never destroyed your family. I didn't invade your country and directly target your father and your mother and your brothers and sisters and your comrades. Are you really so blinded by your hatred that you will do anything to satisfy your thirst for unjustified revenge?"

Or'kan jutted out his chin, sticking his face into Halt's. "I am not the one who is blinded. You are the one who cannot see what you have done. I am the only one who can help my country. And you can die knowing that you fed the phoenix who emerged through the ashes of the Eastern Steppes. You were the doom of my nation, but you will now be the hope; the hope of a world without Rangers, and the hope of a new, budding Temujai empire."

Halt's face hardened. "If Rangers are truly blind, then why is Araluen the most powerful country in the known world? And if you see so clearly, why did your ambush not kill as many of us as you had hoped? How many did you even kill?"

Or'kan's brows lowered. "Two. We only killed two, as far we know."

Halt pushed on. "Which two?"

Or'kan crossed his arms, and Halt blinked away a sudden flash of an image of a young boy crossing his arms and pursing his lips right before he threw a tantrum. "According to my sources, a young one named Trevor and an old one named Jonathan."

Halt felt a hand close around his heart and squeeze. He sighed with both relief and sadness. Gilan and most of the others were alright, but poor Jonathan... Halt remembered many a good time with him. He had always been a good friend. _He had just retired, too,_ Halt thought bitterly. _So much for a nice peaceful retirement. And Trevor, poor Trevor, he was only a small boy. He had so much left to live for...  
_  
Or'kan saw the sadness on Halt's face and grinned with sick satisfaction. "I'll leave you to wallow in your misery. And I assure you, you'll be the first to know if any of you dear friends turn up, especially that old one you were travelling with. He'll be the first of many to die..." He trailed off as he walked away into the forest, a few of his men following behind him. The soldiers holding Halt up unceremoniously dropped him, and his injured legs couldn't take the sudden weight. He crumpled to the ground and moaned in agony as his cracked ribs and many bruises flared with pain.

Halt lay there, curled up in a daze of pain, and hid his face as he cried silently for Trevor and Jonathan.


	26. Chapter 26

_The first thing he noticed was that he was walking. He was moving down a path - no, he knew this path - to Redmont Castle. His body didn't hurt anymore, his ribs didn't throb, he felt full and satisfied. It was such a relief to feel healthy again that Halt couldn't hold back a soft sigh of relief. He was safe. He had made it. He wasn't dead. He was going home and he was going to see Pauline and Will and.. And Will._

Where was Will?

He continued down the path. It was surrounded by thick, fat, familiar trees, and many layers of dead leaves under his boots crunching and rasping like tiny voices whispering to him. The leaves swished and twisted and hissed in the breeze, which was unusually chilly. The faint mid afternoon light filtered through the dense greenery, and a few small squirrels could be seen running around. He suddenly knew he had to keep going, he couldn't stop, he just had to get there. There? He didn't know where he was going - but he knew he was going somewhere. He was nearly there - just around that bend - the clearing - the cabin! Will's cabin! He ran for the house, now gasping for breath. He hadn't realized he had ran nearly all the way there. His boots thumped on the porch steps as he brushed past the chairs that he always loved to sit in. His hand closed on the cool metal knob and he flung the door open, shouting, "Will!"

He didn't see anything at first, just the normal furniture, the cozy little kitchen, the door that lead to Will and Alyss's room. There was even a vase of fragrant flowers, freshly picked, on the table. The other door, where Will had slept in when he was an apprentice, was open as well, but from where Halt stood, he couldn't see anything in it. He stepped over the threshold gently, and whispered hushly, "Will? Alyss?"

A figure stepped out of the main bedroom, wrapped in a robe. It was Alyss. Her long, blonde hair was even longer than he had remembered, but her face was more tense, new lines had formed along her brow and her smile lines weren't as prominent and charming as they used to be. Her eyes still sparkled, but something was wrong. She looked a bit disheveled, and she did not smile as she greeted him. Her voice came out with its usual warmth, but also with a rough, low texture which was not normally present.

"Hullo, Halt."

She stepped out into the main room gingerly, and she seemed to wobble on the first few steps. She managed to make her way into the small kitchen, and her hand shook as she reached out towards the empty coffee pot sitting on the stove. "Normally, I would make you coffee, but... I haven't been able to make myself do it, lately." She let go of the handle and turned back to Halt.

He didn't know what to think. "Oh… alright, but wouldn't Will want some?"

Her eyes flashed, and a sudden weight seemed to hit her shoulders. Her voice came out even rougher and lower as she murmured wistfully, "Yes, he would." She tucked a shaking hand back inside her robe.

Halt couldn't help but widen his eyes at Alyss's condition. "How are you, Alyss? Are you... Well?"

Alyss looked at him with those empty, hard eyes again. "I'm doing as well as can be expected. I'm not sick, I'm not tired... It's just been hard. Especially having to deal with the little ones by myself."

The little ones? _"I'm glad to hear it..." Halt trailed off._ What the hell is going on here?What's wrong with her? _"Alyss, when will Will be back?"_

She had turned away from him, starting to make her way back towards her room. The moment he asked, she froze. She did not turn around, but her back suddenly stiffened. Her voice cracked and choked as she whispered, "Halt... You know he's never coming back."

Halt froze. His mind couldn't think. What? Never coming back?

Alyss suddenly started talking very quickly, her voice still rough, but stronger. "Halt, you know he's never coming back. He's gone, gone to where I can't reach him, where you can't reach him, where no one can reach him. I know that eventually I'll learn to get on without him, that I'll recover, that I'll heal, but right now - right now it feels like I will never be able to live fully, to love completely, to... To

feel _anything ever again. Halt, I loved him. I loved him_ so much. _And he loved me. And I know that I will love him just as much until the day I die, and I know he still loves me from where ever he is... I really wish I could see him just one more time." Her hands collapsed to her sides. She seemed exhausted._

Halt couldn't think. He simply couldn't register what was happening. Rather, he didn't want to.

They stood there in complete and utter silence, a sad, forlorn kind of silence for several minutes, until a small movement inside the other bedroom caught his eye. The door moved, then creaked open ever so slightly. What was beyond that door was something altogether different and unexpected; the one thing Halt never thought he might see.

A boy.

The _boy._

The small toddler, with a mass of curly brown hair, light skin, large and dark eyes, tiny, fisty hands, long lashes...

"Oh, did we wake you up, darling? I'm sorry, go on, back to bed. You can visit with Grandfather Halt in the morning." Alyss's gentle, loving, tender voice snapped him back to reality.

But the boy did not do as she asked. He simply stood there, staring intently at Halt, his small lips still forming that little 'O' of surprise. Then the small boy spoke, in a light, cheerful voice.

"I told you I'd see you again, didn't I?"

Halt simply could not think. He didn't answer the boy.

Another movement behind the boy caught Halt's eye. A flash of light blonde hair - and there she was. A little girl, even younger than the boy, barely walking, peeked out from behind him. She had large, light eyes and thick hair like her mother, but something about her smile that she was now flashing at him reminded him of, well, of Will. The way her eyes crinkled at the corners as she grinned at him, the way she giggled and said softly, "Hullo, Grandfather."

Alyss brushed past him as if he was not there, gently prodding the two beautiful children back inside the room. "Come now, back to bed. It's awfully late. You can visit more in the morning, alright?" The boy and girl took one last long look at Halt, the turned and disappeared back into the darkness behind the door.

Alyss turned back to Halt. "Sorry about that, they weren't supposed to be awake."

"Were those your - your children?"

"Well, of course, Halt." Alyss looked at him strangely, as if he was crazy.

"And who's their father?"

"Halt? Are you alright? You know who their father is... Maybe you need to lie down..."

"Who?"

"

Will! _My husband, Will. My..._ Dead _... Husband." Alyss's voice broke. "Your_ son _."_

He's dead.

Will's dead.

He has children...

And he's dead.

"How did he die?"

Alyss's face was now pinched in anguish. "Halt... You were there! Don't make me relive something you had to see first hand!" She suddenly erupted in anger, flinging her hands into the air. "He died saving

your life _! He died for_ you _and for the Ranger Corps and for Araluen. You carried his body back, you buried him..." She swiped a hand across her cheeks. "I swore to myself I wouldn't cry anymore. I need to go."_

"No... Alyss..."

"Goodbye, Halt." She stepped back into her room, turning her face away, but not soon enough. Halt could just glimpse her tears, wet and round on her cheeks in the dim light, her clumped lashes, her pursed lips, and her broken eyes.

The door shut. The flowers on the table were dead, the water in the vase dried up and the petals brown and crispy as they fell to the table top. The room disappeared. The house disappeared. And Halt was left all alone in the middle of the forest with Alyss's tears running down his own face.

"Hey! Up! Up with you! You've got a visitor!"

Halt held back a moan as he cracked his eyes open. He had stopped dreaming some time ago, but the sadness of it all was still so fresh, so raw, he could barely breathe.

He felt hands grab his arms and haul him up, and he groaned with pain. He felt them drag him across the ground, until they propped him up against a tree. He leaned back against it gratefully. Then he forced himself to open his eyes. It was now late, the sun had fully set, and it was completely dark. The only thing lighting up the area was a large fire, which Halt sat just a few feet from.

Movement in the darkness beyond startled him. From just beyond the trees, four figures emerged. One walked out in front, and the other three walked in a tight line behind him. He realized the man in the middle was being dragged along - he was their prisoner, that was for sure - but he couldn't make out who it was in the darkness. But as they drew nearer to the fire, Halt's heart skipped a beat - no, two - as he realized who it was. He would recognize that face anywhere.

It was Will.


	27. Chapter 27

Halt could do nothing but watch helplessly as Will was dragged over to him. As he got closer and the firelight illuminated his face, Halt was able to properly see him. Deep lines furrowed his face from exhaustion, and several raw cuts were stark red against his pale skin. His eyes still lit up with that familiar determination, but a dull sheen of pain had clouded them a little. His clothes were disheveled from being manhandled by the Temujai, and his wrists were cuffed tightly behind his back.

At first sight, Halt couldn't help but flash back to his dreams. The small boy, the Gathering grounds, the cabin in the woods, Alyss, the children… He had to force himself to focus. _Those dreams weren't real. What's real is right in front of me._

Will was shoved mercilessly down onto his knees a few feet across from Halt next to the fire. Halt winced when Will's face screwed up in pain as his knees hit the dirt, and the Temujai didn't even have to push anymore as he collapsed onto the ground, clenching his teeth in pain. "Will, are you - " he tried to start, but the minute he drew breath to speak, a heavy boot nailed him in the lower back and he sprawled forward, unable to stop himself with his hands restrained.

Next thing Halt knew, his face was pressed to the dirt and his injured body screamed. He bit his tongue furiously to keep from crying out, and he tasted blood. Through the haze of pain he heard, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Shan just left a moment ago and I have to go get him back. Watch them carefully. They're Rangers, after all."

He vaguely registered footsteps headed away from him and Halt forced himself to roll over, and eventually ease himself up. Will was crouching on the ground a few feet away, seemingly completely oblivious to Halt's pain. He was wrenching at his arms furiously, which seemed useless to Halt. _Can't break rope just by pulling on it, Will knows that._ But Will suddenly let out a soft groan of relief as his bound wrists finally squeezed under the soles of his boots and his hands slipped out in front of him. He rolled his shoulders briefly, regaining circulation and easing his cramps, his eyes shut tight. He opened them, and met Halt's eyes in a single moment.

For Halt, there was simply no words. No words to describe the pure relief of seeing him alive and, for the most part, well. He had spent the last two days and nights compounding the stress of his retirement and the ambush, and then forcing it all under a lid to allow him to focus on what was going on. That stress had grown so much that it had bled into his dreams, and finally, his reality. But seeing him, just _seeing_ him again, released most of that stress in a single moment.

Will had just said something to him. "Halt? Halt, are you alright?"

Halt's head jerked painfully as he snapped himself back into reality. "W - What?"

Will's voice was as reassuring as ever, but a bit ragged around the edges. "I said, are you alright? You look really awful."

Halt almost smiled. "One could say the same about you. When was the last time you slept properly?"

Will shrugged. "When was the last time _you_ slept properly?"

"Fair enough." Halt sighed. "I had a falling out with a tree. Literally. What about you?"

Normally, a wisecrack like that would earn a wide grin from Will, but not even a ghost of a smile flickered across his face. In fact, Will's eyes seemed to harden even more. "It's a rather long list. I'll save it for later."

"That's probably wise," Halt muttered, distraught at Will's reaction. _He looks so guarded, so jaded. Something happened to him, and I need to find out what._

Will had risen to his knees again and was crawling over to him, limping along on one knee and his bound hands. The other knee he kept up in the air and winced whenever his weight shifted to that side. He finally managed to seat himself down next to Halt. "You look really hurt. What happened to you?" His hands gently touched the huge tears in his jerkin and cloak, the leaves still stuck in his hair, and the cuts from the branches on his face and hands.

"I told you, I fell out of a tree. I landed on some poor fellow, you should see him." Halt winced as Will pressed a bit of cloth torn from his shirt against the worst of his cuts, and dabbed away some of the blood from his face.

"We don't have much time till Or'kan comes, so I won't ask you about that now. But you have to promise to tell me everything later. Did you break anything?"

Halt shrugged, and immediately regretted it. "A rib or two, I think. I can't be certain, but I don't think anything else is broken. Just lots of bruises and cuts."

"Yes, I can see that."

Halt muttered, "We don't have time for this. I assume you have some sort of plan? Or is this your plan gone horribly wrong?"

Will rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course I have a - "

Will never got to finish. One of the Temujai guards had just turned and saw Will next to Halt. He immediately shouted something, and marched over. Before Halt could warn Will, his boot shot out and slammed into the side of his head. Will groaned and fell back, and two men grabbed his arms and dragged him back over to the other side of the fire. There they shoved him up against the tree and stepped away, this time not turning their backs.

Will groaned and squirmed in pain, and fresh trickle of blood running down his face, and Halt whispered across the fire, "Will, stay awake, don't pass out."

"I know, I'm alright, I think," Will muttered his voice soft but clear and not slurred.

One of the guards shouted, "The Shan is coming! Everyone to attention."

Will glanced at Halt, puzzled. "What did he say? I haven't been able to understand these bastards."

Halt nodded. "He said that the Shan's coming. I really hope that this is a part of your plan."

Will's answer was again cut short. Or'kan strode out of the trees and into the firelight, the glow lighting up his dark eyes and grin.

As soon as the Shan laid eyes on Will, he stopped walking. He froze in place, his flickering eyes drilling into Will, who met his gaze squarely. Then all at once, Or'kan began to laugh, a deep-throated, full-bodied laugh that echoed around the camp. Every soldier milling around nearby stopped at the surprisingly resonant sound, and a stunned silence settled over the entire camp. Or'kan, still chuckling, said, "Well, well, well, would you look at this? A pleasure to see you again, Ranger Will. I don't think you'd believe it, but Ranger Halt and I were just talking about you a few hours ago! I told him just how much I wanted to see you again, and look - here you are. I must have the luck of the gods on my side." He strode over and clapped a hand on Will's shoulder none too gently.

"I don't think there are any gods worth believing in who would condone the murder of innocent people," Will said, softly but confidently, with a touch of contempt.

Or'kan looked at Will with something like pity. "Ooh, you sound a little more worse for wear than the last time we talked. What have you been up to since we met in the forest?"

 _So it is true - Or'kan did meet Will in the forest,_ Halt thought.

Will peered up at him through narrowed eyes. "Well, I'll tell you one thing: don't even think about sending and receiving information through Castle Araluen anymore."

Or'kan's eyebrows rose up to heaven, and Halt could see him visibly struggling to suppress his shock. "Oh, I see, you found my spy, then? I must say, I didn't expect that from you, and not this quickly. I suppose I'll have to find a different way to leech information about you Rangers out of this country. That shouldn't be too hard, of course, once most of you are dead." Will tried to answer, but Or'kan went right on. "I suppose I'm also just surprised to see you, Will. The last time we spoke you were headed in the complete opposite direction with the rest of the wounded Corps in tow. If anything, I expected that other old Ranger to come bursting out of the bushes on some hair-brained rescue mission."

Will's face flickered. "Your spy is useless now, and the other Ranger is long gone. As I was riding up here I passed him on his way down south. He was running for his life."

 _Crowley's not gone, he wouldn't just leave. Will's only saying that to give us another bargaining chip._

Will had continued speaking. "So it's just you, me, and Halt."

Halt decided he had had enough of this, and decided to stir the pot a little. "And a few extra Temujai on the side," he muttered sarcastically.

Will rolled his eyes as Or'kan's gaze swivelled over to Halt. As soon as the Shan's back was turned, Will's eyes went wide and he gave a very pointed look at Halt. He mouthed something, but Halt didn't understand, so he only shrugged.

Meanwhile, Or'kan heartily mocked them both. "I see. So, you think you have come to escape? You're going to somehow break free and get out of here, capturing me or killing me in the process?" He turned back to Will, still gesturing to Halt. "And you think this old geezer is going to help you? Not only is he positively ancient, but he fell out of a tree just a few hours ago. He's not in any sort of shape to be escaping any time soon."

Halt realized he should be insulted by all that, but was disappointed to find that he wasn't. _I really am a bit of a geezer, aren't I?_ He struggled to hold back a smile at the thought.

Will just shrugged. "We'll stop you. You know it's just a matter of time."

Or'kan's eyes burned a little brighter. Will was making him angry. "Remember what I told you? About choosing other people's fates? Well, here I am, with you at my mercy. I am choosing your fate."

A bitter smile ghosted across Will's face. "Or'kan, I don't think you will ever understand how fate works. Unfortunately for you, I turned myself into your men. I chose to be here."

Or'kan sneered. "You may chosen to be here, but the ending still remains the same: with you under my control. Your life is in my hands. I could _kill_ you at any moment, any time that I chose." His voice was loud and harsh.

Will didn't even flinch. "Is that really how it is? I know your plan, and I know you can't afford to kill us yet. So is it really your choice? Or is just all just circumstantial?"

Or'kan scoffed at him. "You don't know my plan, and fate is not circumstantial. Do you really think it was circumstantial that those two Rangers died? Because I don't think you do."

Will's calm facade melted in an instant. A seething rage festered in his eyes and his whole body tensed and sat up taller, and the shadows on his face grew longer in the moonlight.

Halt's eyes couldn't help but widen. _I don't remember ever seeing Will this angry._

When Will spoke, his voice was quiet, so quiet Halt had to strain to hear it, but it was perfectly steady and oozing with pure contempt. "I do think that was circumstantial, but that doesn't mean it wasn't your fault. Neither of those two Rangers deserved to die, and they had more to live for than your revenge killings. And don't you _dare_ try to use their deaths to justify your bloodlust!" Will spat.

"I don't care what they had to live for. You destroyed my country and my life. Those are worth far more than a few colleagues."

"They were a part of our _family_ , and now they're dead. As far as I'm concerned, love and friendship are far more important than anything you could dream up, like your desperate need for revenge!" Will was shouting now, his hands clenched into fists in his lap.

"Then your loyalty _blinds you_ from the truth!" Or'kan's hand slammed onto his saber hilt and flung it from its sheath with a _shhhhhhhing!_ In a split second he slashed the blade across Will's neck, opening up a cut running from just under his ear to the side of his throat. Will fell back, jamming his shoulder up into the cut, trying to stanch the bleeding. But before Halt a chance to do anything at all, Or'kan left Will in the dust and rounded on him, sword bloody, eyes blazing. "What do you have to say for yourself, Ranger Halt? I think Will's made his position quite clear, but you have a chance to redeem yourself here."

As soon as Or'kan turned away from Will and come around to the other side of the big fire to get at Halt, he could see Will immediately starting to stand up as quietly as he could. The other Temujai standing watch a few meters from the fire had turned away when Or'kan exploded; obviously, they had seen it before and knew it was best not to be looking at him when he was in a rage. But that meant that as soon as Or'kan turned his back, no one was looking at Will. By now he had managed to get to his feet. He looked Halt dead in the eyes, winked once, slowly, and then suddenly took off running into the forest.

Or'kan had been saying something to Halt, but as soon as Will took off, he whirled around and only managed to catch the heels of Will's boots and he disappeared into the trees. The other Temujai had seen as well, and they started to rush after him, but Or'kan screamed, "No! He's mine, I'll take care of him. Stay here and watch the other one." He turned to Halt. "He has nowhere to go. When I bring him back, I'll kill you both, slowly." Then he turned away and sprinted into the forest after Will.

Halt turned back to the other Temujai, who now were circling him like a predator and its prey.

 _What was Will thinking?_

Several minutes passed in tense, awkward silence. He could hear dulled voices somewhere off in the forest, but it was so soft he couldn't tell what was going on.

As the Temujai closed in, Halt thought, _If this is it, I hope Will gets away. So that he can grow up and lead the Corps and have beautiful children -_

 _Thrummmmm_ \- the unmistakeable sound.

An arrow lodged itself in the neck of the nearest Temujai. He dropped to the ground and moved no more.

Will ran, ran for his life. He couldn't help but stumble over rocks and branches in the darkness, but he managed not to fall. Just a little further, just a little further… There! He could just barely make out the cliff in the darkness, a line up ahead where the trees thinned out and the land under his feet would suddenly drop out from under him. He could hear the river rushing at the bottom of the ravine, only a few feet deep. He skidded to a stop several feet in front of the ledge next to some bushes that would further disguise the drop off in the inky blackness of the forest. Sure enough, thrashing footsteps came closer and closer, and Will readied himself to face him.

Or'kan burst out of the bushes, alone, panting and furious. His saber was still stained with Will's blood, red and shining on the flat of the blade in the dim moonlight. "You have nowhere to run, Will. This forest goes on for a long time and you wouldn't make it very far with your hands tied and without weapons."

Will just smiled. "Maybe I don't want to run. Maybe I've got you right where I want you."

Or'kan laughed it off, advancing forward, his saber raised. "I think you're bluffing because you know you don't have anywhere to run. I know you, you're smart. And when you're smart, you know when you don't have a chance."

Will just kept smiling, but he took a careful step backward toward the cliff. "You may get me, but you should know that you'll never capture the rest of them. The Rangers, I mean. You don't have a chance. And I know you, you're smart, too. So why do you still try?"

Or'kan's eyes seemed to glow with hatred. "Because I've planned for this. I know what I have to do, and I know how to do it. I already killed two of them, the old one and the young one. Their deaths were merciful. Imagine what I could do to the rest you?"

"Oh, I really don't think you've ever even had a chance at getting all of us. Face it, your campaign was built on bloodlust and revenge, not logical preparation and strategy."

"I will kill every single Ranger in the Corps, no matter what you think. Starting with you!"

He rushed at Will, running head on, his saber held in front of him like a lance. Will backed up another step, till he was right at the edge of the cliff. Or'kan only ran faster as Will retreated, and he didn't slow down even as the cliff came into view.

Will forced himself to wait… to wait… wait a little longer… Now!

Just as Or'kan's saber was about to run right through him, Will took one final step, his foot twisting behind him as he struggled to find leverage in the loose rocks of the cliff edge. He threw himself to one side as Or'kan came barrelling past at full speed. The Shan had a split second to realize that the ground dropped off in front of him, and he tried to slow down, but it was no use. His boots slipped on the loose gravel and he found himself sliding over the edge at high speed. Will expected to land on the rocks at the edge, but his luck - and his knee - were out that day. His injured knee couldn't take the sudden twisting and loose rocks, and even though he landed on the rocks, he found himself sliding helplessly, his hands scrabbling to find purchase, and finding none.

Both Will and Or'kan disappeared over the edge of the cliff.


	28. Chapter 28

Halt threw himself down as the second arrow came pelting out of the trees. It struck another Temujai, dropping him instantly next to the first. The shocked rebels stood frozen as yet another arrow struck a third man in the leg. Then they all started babbling frantically, hiding behind one another, trying to figure out where the arrows were coming from. A few tried to shoot back, but the onslaught was too heavy and the Temujai were too panicked. Their numbers had been greatly diminished in the ambush at the Gathering, so there was only about twenty of them left, and with three of them down, only a few remained.

 _The Temujai may be elite archers, but they sure don't know how to counter archery. They'll shoot at you all day, but fire an arrow back with some accuracy, and they'll break down and panic._

The next thing that dropped from the sky was not arrows, but rocks. Stones fell from the sky, smacking into the men's heads and arms, knocking out a few and breaking the bones of the others. As the rocks hailed down with surprising accuracy, Halt crawled over to the dead Temujai and wrenched the arrow out of his neck. He reached down and struggled to cut the ropes binding his ankles. By the time he got himself free, another few Temujai had been hit by arrows. He used the tree to haul himself to his feet, wincing and groaning as his broken ribs and bruised body protested, but the Temujai were too busy to even notice him. _Should I stay? Or do I go find Will?_ The shooter up in the trees continued his onslaught of arrows, and he seemed to have the situation under control.

 _I can't lose him, not again._

Halt took one last look at the panicking Temujai, and took off as fast as his injured body would carry him. He ran in the same general direction as Will had, but he had no way of knowing where he really was. _Should I call out for him? He can't have gone very far._ "Will! Will, where are you?" He paused for a moment, but the answer wasn't long in coming.

"Halt! I'm over here!"

 _Thank god._

"I'm coming, hold on!" Halt took off running in the direction he had heard his voice from from.

He was running full steam ahead when Will called out again, "Watch out, there's a cliff!"

Halt skidded to a stop, and just in time. Only a few meters away from him, the ground dropped off suddenly, and if Will hadn't called out to him, he would have probably run right over the edge into the dark ravine.

"Where are you?"

"I'm over the edge, but just a little ways down! I would climb, but my hands are still tied. Can you toss a rope?"

"I don't have one! Are you near the top?" Halt knelt down and peered over the edge.

"Yes, I think so. Can you see my hands?" Sure enough, Halt could see two hands clinging tightly to a thick tree root just a few feet down.

"Yes! I'll grab them, and try to use your legs to help me pull you up."

With a lot of grunting and heaving, Halt barely managed to pull Will up most of the way, to a point where Will could swing his legs up and roll away from the edge. They both lay there in the loose rocks, panting and gasping for breath in the darkness. After a minute or so, Will sat up, grabbed one of the sharper rocks nearby, and started cutting at the ropes on his wrists. But his hands were all scraped and bloody, and he couldn't seem to get a good grip on the rock. Halt leaned over and gently took the rock from him, cutting the ropes off in a single movement. Will rubbed his hands gratefully, wrapping his bleeding fingers in his cloak. Halt sat back and leaned heavily against the large rocks, his eyes drooping in exhaustion. "Will, where's Or'kan?"

Will pointed mutely over the edge of the cliff with a blood-smeared hand. Halt leaned precariously over the edge again and could just barely make out the shape of a man sprawled on the rocky bank next to the river. He wasn't moving. "Is he dead?"

"Can't tell from up here, and I don't think I have the energy to go down there and check. He hasn't moved since he landed, so he's either dead or very badly hurt."

Halt nodded wordlessly. "Then I don't think we have to worry about him just yet. Are you alright? How's that cut on your neck?"

Will shrugged. "It's fine, it was pretty shallow. I saw it coming and leaned back just in time. What about you? How was Crowley's shooting back there after I left?"

Halt raised an eyebrow. "I see, so that was your plan. That was Crowley shooting, eh? I suppose that makes sense. So he's taking care of them while we take care of Or'kan?"

Will nodded. "Yes, that was… roughly how it was supposed to go."

"So you're saying that your plan succeeded, in a manner of speaking."

Will grinned faintly. "Yes, in a manner of speaking. Sounds like Crowley's got the other Temujai under control."

The screams and shouts from the Temujai rapidly became softer and softer and Crowley took care of them, and the forest became gradually silent, except for the whoosh of wind in the trees and a few owls and frogs out for the night. The moon shone down through the trees, huge and bright, but not quite full.

They both were silent for a while before Halt asked, "Look, I know we'll have plenty of time to explain everything to each other later, but I just have to ask… Some of the things you said to Or'kan, I've never heard you say things like that before. Did something happen?"

Will's face darkened in the moonlight. "Or'kan was crazy. I was just saying things to get him riled up, nothing more."

Halt pursed his lips. "I know some things were just for baiting him, to get him angry, but I'm not sure about all of it. Will, I know you, " he said softly, "I know when something's wrong. We have time, right here, right now, and I think it's better if we clear all this up before we have to deal with anyone else." He leaned in closer to him, and said simply, " _Tell_ me."

Will remained silent for a moment, but then something seemed to break within him and he started talking, slowly. "It was during the ambush, after you left, I was finishing off the men near me, and when I looked across the clearing, Harrison and Trevor were struggling, they were surrounded… I shot the last few of them around me, and then I just started running, but I couldn't make it. They stabbed Harrison and shot Trevor, dead center of the chest. When I got there, I - I killed them all. Every single one of them." He buried his face in his cloak for a long moment, unable to continue. After a few moments, he looked up again. "After the Temujai ran, we tried to stop the bleeding as best we could, and we carried him for miles as we ran through the darkness, terrified that something was going to jump out and shoot us…" Will was babbling now, his hands were shaking, but his voice was soft. "We had to rest, and we set him down, and he was dying. He asked for me, and I… I held his hand. I held his hand as he died, I felt the life go out him, his heart stop pumping. He was so afraid in those last few moments, so afraid… and I couldn't help him. It was too late." Will took a breath. There were tears in his eyes. "We carried his body the rest of the way to the safe houses. And my team carried his body all the way back to Araluen. I had to ride through those gates with two Rangers' bodies strapped to their own horses."

There was a long period of silence. Will stared mutely at a rock, glassy-eyed, and Halt just mulled over what had happened.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Halt whispered.

Will flashed back to his first discussion with Halt after he escaped from slavery in Skandia. He had told Halt about his addiction with warmweed, and his mentor had said the exact same thing.

"Will, it's a terrible, terrible thing when people die, people who you love and care about, people who you know don't deserve to go the way that they do. But you need to know that you did absolutely everything you could to save him. If it wasn't enough, then it wasn't enough, but that's not on you." Halt reached out and put a gloved hand on Will's arm.

Will met his gaze, his eyes red. They just looked at each other for a long moment, and then Will nodded once, reassuring himself, and then nodded to Halt. "You're right, Halt. You're right. I suppose I've just been under so much stress, so many things have happened that I wasn't expecting, it's all driven me a little crazy." He grinned a little.

Halt nodded once, and then let out a long sigh. _Tell me about it._ "I suppose I have something to tell you as well, something to get off my chest."

Will raised an eyebrow. His eyes were already less red, and his face seemed less tense and lined. As he sat more comfortably in the loose gravel next to the cliff, he looked a little more like his old self again. "Oh no, the last time you told me that, you told me you were retiring. Don't tell me something else, I don't think I could take it."

He was grinning widely, but the smile faded as he saw Halt's sad, hard face. Halt gave another long sigh. "Will, I've been having dreams."

"Dreams? What kind of dreams?" Will's voice sounded concerned.

"Well…" Halt hesitated. "They're about… you."

Now Will's voice was puzzled. "Alright. What about me?"

Halt shrugged, embarrassed. The movement sent a few pebble smattering off the cliff side, hitting the surface of the river with a soft _splosh_. "I've had three of them, one about the ambush, one about you during your first year as my apprentice with the boar, and one last one where you… well, where you had died."

Will was quiet for a long time. Finally he said haltingly, "Your dreams were about me… dying?"

"Y-yes." Halt felt some weight lift from his shoulders. Telling Will, just telling him, about the dreams had lightened his heavy heart. Even though Crowley had known, he could never understand it like Will could. Will was his son, after all. _There's a special bond between father and son that doesn't exist between friends,_ Halt thought. And, of course, considering the small matter that the dreams were about Will. That made a difference, too.

Will chewed his lip. "Why do you think you would dream things like that? I mean, you know none of it is true. Here I am, perfectly alive." Will gestured to himself as if to show him.

Halt raised an eyebrow at Will's beaten, battered body, his heavily bandaged knee, his bloody face and hands, his torn and dirty clothing, his exhausted face shadowy in the light. "I'd say you're more dead than alive at the moment…" he flashed a small smile as Will grinned wanly, "but yes, I know none of it is real, or, at least, most of it." He sighed and rubbed his beard feverishly before continuing. "I don't know what it's all about though, they've only started after I told you about my imminent retirement."

Will rubbed his own beard, or rather, scruff. "You said each of the dreams was about me? And the Corps? Anyone else?"

"I don't think so… oh, my last one was about Alyss. After you died." _And your two children that you haven't had yet, if my dream was true._

"Huh." Will's brows knit together. "I'd say… I'd say you are worried about retirement. But not just that, it's the things that have to happen along with it."

Halt raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Well, from what I can see, I think the underlying problem is me."

Halt was stunned. "What? You? Why would it be you?"

"I think you are afraid to leave me on my own, so to speak. No, not just missions or having my own fief, but altogether leaving active duty. I think you haven't ever really left me to fend for myself, at least, not really."

Halt tried to protest, but Will didn't let him. "Look, even when you found me, when I was a baby, you saved me from bandits, you brought me to the ward, and you were always nearby. Then you took me in as your apprentice, and from then on we were together all the time. Even after I graduated, I did most of my missions with you, and now we even occupy the same fief. I think you're afraid to leave me and the rest of the Corps."

Halt sat in silence, stunned.

"And, because your dreams also seemed to be about the Corps as a whole, I think you're afraid of leaving the organization that you devoted your life, no, your existence, to. It's been your entire _purpose_ for living ever since you escaped your family in Clonmel, and taking the gold means you are no longer fulfilling that purpose.

"But mostly, I think you are afraid of change. You're afraid of all the different things that will happen after you leave."

Halt absorbed all of that. Yes, he supposed, Will was right. He _was_ afraid. He was afraid to leave because he didn't want to abandon his old life, everything that he had built, the reputation he had carved for himself, his importance to the kingdom, the knowledge that he was _needed._ Needed by someone or something.

He shook his head a little, and then raised both eyebrows at Will. "Since when did you have the ability to interpret dreams?"

Will only smiled a little. Halt suddenly realized how much Will had changed. He had gone from the timid apprentice to the accomplished, confident, capable Ranger in the span of a few years. He had made Halt into a much better person every second he spent with him, and, Halt figured, the only reason he had ever gotten the courage to talk to Pauline about how much he loved her was because of Will.

In short, Will was responsible for most of the happiness in Halt's world.

"You're right," Halt murmured. Will just looked at him.

"You're right," he said a little louder. "About everything. I am scared, scared about what the future is going to be like, scared about leaving the Corps. I suppose I just needed to pin all that fear onto someone or something, and that happened to be you."

Will nodded. "It's alright to be scared, you know. I'm just as scared as you."

"Yes, scared of the Temujai and their bloody ambushes. I spent the last few days thinking they would be my last," Halt muttered.

Will nodded. "I was _sure_ I wasn't even going to make it to Castle Araluen, much less all the way back here." He paused for a moment, and then said softly, "I don't know if I told you this yet, but it's good to see you. These last few days… well, they've been -"

"I know," Halt interrupted. "They've been hell. And it's good to see you, too, Will." They both clasped gloved hands tightly.

Halt spoke up again. "You know, in my last dream, the one where you had died… you had children."

Will looked up sharply, his eyes wide in surprise. Then he suddenly grew sad, so deeply sad, and asked wistfully, "What - what did they look like?"

Halt smiled. "They were beautiful, like their mother, and handsome, like their father."

Will smiled, his eyes still so sad. "I bet they were."

Halt couldn't help but add, "There were two of them, a boy and a girl. Beautiful and healthy and curious and smart."

Will sighed and wrung his hands. "You've probably heard about it from other people, but I haven't properly told you yet, have I?"

"I've heard things, but I'd prefer to hear the truth from your own mouth."

Will nodded. "Yes, well, the truth is that Alyss and I have been trying - trying for _months_ and _months_ \- to have a child. And it hasn't been, well, it hasn't worked yet. I've been trying to keep my hopes up, but Alyss sees right through it. We're both sad and… discouraged."

Halt chewed his lip. "I know you said you had both been checked by a doctor, and he didn't seem to think there was anything wrong. So you'll both just have to be patient, it's bound to happen sometime."

Will sighed heavily. His eyes were glassy. "When I was back at the castle, when we had just gotten in, we were all beat up and exhausted, Horace came up to me and offered for me and Alyss to come and see little Maddie. When Alyss was holding her, I could see, I could _just see_ how much she wanted one of her own. Her face, her voice, I knew in that moment that Alyss wanted a child just as much as I do, if not even more. And it's just so hard to know that we both want it so bad, but it just won't happen."

Halt felt a hand clench around his heart. It was hard for him to hear all this pain in Will's voice. But, he reflected, just as he had realized back when Will first fell in love with Alyss after Mackindaw, that was part of the pain of being a mentor. "It will happen, I know it will. Just wait, in a few years you'll be complaining to me about not getting any sleep and having to clean up all kinds of messes and deal with all the crying. You'll look back on this moment and wonder why in the world you ever wanted them so badly."

Will grinned. "I might complain later, but right now I'd give just about anything to have to deal with any of that."

" _Arrrrrrgggggggghooooooooohhhhhhhh…."_

Both Halt and Will jumped a meter in the air. "What the _hell -"_ Halt spat.

"I think it's Or'kan. It came from over the edge." Will leaned over the ledge a little so he could see the body sprawled on the rocks below.

Another groan echoed from the bottom of the ravine. Will could just barely make out Or'kan's body down below. As he groaned, his head moved ever so slightly. "I can't… Can't feel my legs," he mumbled. "Or my arms. Why can't I feel… my arms?"

Will and Halt both looked at each other gravely. "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say that when he fell off that cliff, he broke his back. He's probably paralyzed," Halt said matter-of-factly.

Will nodded. Once. Then he leaned over the edge and called out, "You hear that, Or'kan? You might be paralyzed!"

A much louder groan followed by the weak sound of sobbing echoed up.

"It's his reckoning. After all the harm he tried to cause…" Halt muttered.

Will pursed his lips. "I don't know if that's the fate he deserves, but it's worse than anything I could ever dream up as punishment for what he's done."

Halt nodded solemnly. "I don't know if anyone deserves a fate such as that."

Another voice called out from the trees a few meters away, but this one was familiar. "Have you two really just been sitting here all this time, chatting, while I had to deal with all the rest of them by myself?"

Will turned to see Crowley marching through the trees. He looked indignant, but he could tell that he was relieved to see them both. Will pulled himself painfully to his feet, and then took Halt's arm and pulled him up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "You could say that, I suppose."

Halt grinned cheekily through teeth gritted against the pain. "Yes, Will and I were just sitting down to tea and biscuits when you came along. Too bad you didn't come sooner when we were eating a nice hot meal with good pint of beer and fresh bread."

Crowley grinned cheerfully. "Since you all have been having such a good jolly ol' time out here, I suppose you're ready to go home then? It's only a day's ride, and I figured we could drop most of the prisoners off at the nearest castle. But we'll be taking good old Or'kan down there all the way to Araluen with us."

Will nodded. "That sounds like a plan."

Halt smiled. "Time to go home. Now, before we leave, who wants to shimmy on down and get Or'kan?"

 **Hello! Thank you so much for reading all of that brand new content! I know it was a lot, hopefully that makes up for how long I made you all wait for it. I'll be posting the ending soon. Please tell me what you think. Which dream was your favorite? Which character is your favorite point of view?**


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